Investigations
PASSENGER/ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE07024 - closed, opened 2007-05-10.
NHTSA investigation PE07024 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2007-05-10 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2007-09-28 - 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 PE07024 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: "MANY OF THE FIRE REPORTS ALLEGE THAT THE VEHICLE FIRE WAS ATTRIBUTED TO IGNITION COIL FAILURE. VW PROVIDED ADDITIONAL DATA REGARDING ITS ANALYSIS OF VEHICLE FIRES AND A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE THREE DIFFERENT ENGINES..." 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
MANY OF THE FIRE REPORTS ALLEGE THAT THE VEHICLE FIRE WAS ATTRIBUTED TO IGNITION COIL FAILURE. VW PROVIDED ADDITIONAL DATA REGARDING ITS ANALYSIS OF VEHICLE FIRES AND A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE THREE DIFFERENT ENGINES AND IGNITION SYSTEMS FOR THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. ODI FINDS THE NEED TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE. TO FACILITATE ACQUISITION AND ANALYSIS OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA07-014).
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.