Investigations
DIESEL FUEL LEAK
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE07041 - closed, opened 2007-08-08.
NHTSA investigation PE07041 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2007-08-08 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2007-12-07 - 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 PE07041 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: "OVERHEATING OF THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AT THE FUEL HEATER ON THE FUEL FILTER / WATER SEPARATOR ASSEMBLY CAN CAUSE A FUEL LEAK THROUGH THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION. OPERATORS REPORT THE SMELL OF DIESEL FUEL, SMOKE, DIFFICUL..." 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
OVERHEATING OF THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AT THE FUEL HEATER ON THE FUEL FILTER / WATER SEPARATOR ASSEMBLY CAN CAUSE A FUEL LEAK THROUGH THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION. OPERATORS REPORT THE SMELL OF DIESEL FUEL, SMOKE, DIFFICULTY STARTING AND/OR POOR ENGINE OPERATION. THE FUEL LEAKAGE IS REPORTED BY SOME OPERATORS AS "SEEPAGE, "WETNESS," SEVERAL DROPS," AND "AN OZ PER MINUTE." EVIDENCE OF OVERHEATING OF THE CONNECTION WAS OBSERVED BY SOME OPERATORS AND REPORTED AS BURNED OR DISCOLORED ELECTRICAL CONNECTION AT THE FUEL HEATER. SEVEN OPERATORS REPORT SMELLING OR SEEING SMOKE. ONE REPORTED A VEHICLE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE HOWEVER THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS NOT IDENTIFIED, AND LINKAGE OF THE FIRE CAUSE TO THIS ISSUE IS NOT LIKELY TO BE ESTABLISHED. THE LOCATION OF THE FUEL FILTER / WATER SEPARATOR ASSEMBLY IS NOT NEAR THE LOCATION OF THE TURBO CHARGER WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ENGINE. THE TURBO CHARGER WOULD PRESENT A POTENTIALLY HOT SURFACE HOWEVER DUE TO THE LAYOUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND ITS COMPONENTS, DIESEL FUEL LEAKAGE FROM THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION WOULD NOT LIKELY MIGRATE TO THE TURBO CHARGER. AT THIS TIME, A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AND THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED. THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST. THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
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.