Investigations
FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE MALFUNCTION
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE05046 - closed, opened 2005-08-26.
NHTSA investigation PE05046 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2005-08-26 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2005-12-27 - 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 PE05046 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: "THIS INVESTIGATION OF FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WAS OPENED ON AUGUST 26, 2005. THE BASIS FOR OPENING WAS SEVEN ODI REPORTS ALLEGING THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE COM..." 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
THIS INVESTIGATION OF FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WAS OPENED ON AUGUST 26, 2005. THE BASIS FOR OPENING WAS SEVEN ODI REPORTS ALLEGING THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE COMPLAINANTS ALLEGED THE BUCKLES WOULD NOT LATCH OR WERE DIFFICULT TO LATCH OR UNLATCH. SOME OF THE COMPLAINANTS ALLEGED SOMETHING WAS BROKEN INSIDE OF THE BUCKLE AND OTHERS ALLEGED THAT THE "BUTTON" WAS STUCK DOWN AND HAD TO BE PRIED UP IN ORDER TO LATCH THE BUCKLE. THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO EA05-022
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.