Investigations
SUN/MOON ROOF WIND DEFLECTOR BREAKAGE
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE05021 - closed, opened 2005-04-28.
NHTSA investigation PE05021 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2005-04-28 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2005-08-26 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
A Preliminary Evaluation like PE05021 is the entry point of the federal defect-investigation process. NHTSA engineers scan complaint databases, field reports, and manufacturer data to decide whether an Engineering Analysis is warranted, whether a voluntary recall is already sufficient, or whether the pattern does not rise to a defect finding.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "THE MANUFACTURER STATES THAT THERE ARE NO INDICATIONS OF DEFICIENCIES IN THE DESIGN, MANUFACTURE, OR ASSEMBLY OF THE WIND DEFLECTOR THAT MAY ACCOUNT FOR THE INCIDENTS REPORTED. THE MANUFACTURER ALSO BELIEVES THAT IMPACT..." Investigations are the early-warning layer of the federal auto-safety system, sitting upstream of formal recalls and defect orders. Whether this one closes without action or escalates into an Engineering Analysis, the full history stays in the ODI archive so researchers, litigators, and buyers can pull the paper trail at any time.
Investigation Summary
THE MANUFACTURER STATES THAT THERE ARE NO INDICATIONS OF DEFICIENCIES IN THE DESIGN, MANUFACTURE, OR ASSEMBLY OF THE WIND DEFLECTOR THAT MAY ACCOUNT FOR THE INCIDENTS REPORTED. THE MANUFACTURER ALSO BELIEVES THAT IMPACT OF AIRBORNE ROAD DEBRIS WITH THE WIND DEFLECTOR IS THE PROBABLE CAUSE FOR THE INCIDENTS REPORTED. ODI'S ANALYSES OF THE WARRANTY DATA INDICATE THAT INCIDENTS OF WIND DEFLECTOR BREAKAGE WHILE DRIVING WILL CONTINUE TO OCCUR OVER TIME, AS THE POPULATION AND ON-ROAD EXPOSURE OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES INCREASE. THE EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT REGARDLESS OF THE CAUSE FOR SUCH BREAKAGE, THE BROKEN GLASS PARTICLES AND FRAGMENTS MAY FALL DIRECTLY ONTO THE FRONT SEAT OCCUPANTS OF THESE VEHICLES. THESE OCCURRENCES MAY POSE A RISK OF DRIVER DISTRACTION AND PERSONAL INJURY. THIS PE HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA05-013) TO FURTHER ASSESS THIS MATTER.
About This Investigation Type
A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first phase of NHTSA's investigation process. It is opened when the agency identifies a potential safety defect pattern, usually triggered by consumer complaints, manufacturer reports, or field monitoring. During a PE, NHTSA gathers information to determine whether a formal engineering analysis is warranted.
Data from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Cross-references: NHTSA recall campaign API and NHTSA FARS where fatality records overlap. PlainCars does not rate or recommend vehicles. about how PlainCars sources NHTSA data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.