Investigations
ENGINE STALLING
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE05029 - closed, opened 2005-05-31.
NHTSA investigation PE05029 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2005-05-31 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2005-10-12 - 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 PE05029 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: "ODI OPENED PE05-029 BASED ON 33 REPORTS OF ALLEGED GASOLINE ENGINE STALLING ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE GASOLINE/ ELECTRIC HYBRID VEHICLES THAT CAN BE OPERATED IN GASOLINE OR ELECTRIC MODES, OR A CO..." 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
ODI OPENED PE05-029 BASED ON 33 REPORTS OF ALLEGED GASOLINE ENGINE STALLING ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE GASOLINE/ ELECTRIC HYBRID VEHICLES THAT CAN BE OPERATED IN GASOLINE OR ELECTRIC MODES, OR A COMBINATION OF BOTH DEPENDING ON THE POWER DEMAND. ALL REPORTS ALLEGE THAT THE GASOLINE ENGINE SHUT DOWN SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING. SOME OF THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED THAT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO OPERATE USING THE ELECTRIC MODE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AFTER THE GAS ENGINE STALLED AND SOME REPORTED THAT THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN AT THE SAME TIME THAT THEY FELT THE GAS ENGINE STALLED. SOME CONSUMERS REPORTED THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE EITHER IMMEDIATELY OR AFTER ALLOWING THE VEHICLE SIT FOR A SHORT TIME, WHEREAS OTHERS REPORTED THAT THEY HAD THEIR VEHICLE TOWED. DURING PE05-029, ADDITIONAL FAILURE DATA WAS IDENTIFIED AS NOTED IN THE FAILURE REPORT SUMMARY ABOVE. THE COMPLAINT DATA REPRESENTS INCIDENTS WHERE ENGINE STALLING WAS ALLEGED OR WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS ALLEGED TO HAVE ONE OF THE VARIOUS CONDITIONS THAT CAUSES THE GAS ENGINE TO STALL. IN ITS AUGUST 26, 2005 RESPONSE TO ODI'S INFORMATION REQUEST, TOYOTA IDENTIFIED VARIOUS CONDITIONS THAT COULD CAUSE THE SUBJECT VEHICLES TO EXPERIENCE A GAS ENGINE STALL. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE DRIVER IS ALERTED BY AN AUDIBLE SOUND AND VARIOUS WARNING LIGHTS. THE VEHICLE WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE IN THE ELECTRIC MODE AND THE ELECTRICALLY-POWERED BRAKE AND STEERING OPERATION WILL CONTINUE TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. ANALYSIS OF THE WARRANTY DATA INDICATED THAT OVER 97% OF VEHICLES EXPERIENCING A GAS ENGINE STALL RESULTED FROM AN ISSUE WITH THE PROGRAM LOGIC IN THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM) SYSTEM, WHICH MAY CAUSE THE ECM SYSTEM TO NOT START THE GAS ENGINE WHEN REQUIRED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE WILL ENTER THE LIMITED OPERATION MODE DESCRIBED ABOVE. THE MAJORITY OF THE ODI COMPLAINTS ALSO INDICATED THAT THE DRIVER EXPERIENCED THIS CONDITION IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ENGINE STALL. DURING OCTOBER 2005, TOYOTA INFORMED
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.