Investigations
SIDE AIR BAG NON-DEPLOYMENT
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE08004 - closed, opened 2008-01-25.
NHTSA investigation PE08004 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2008-01-25 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2008-05-30 - 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 PE08004 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 SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH OPTIONAL SEAT-MOUNTED SIDE AIR BAGS. ALL VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH STANDARD FRONTAL AIR BAGS AND SIDE AIR CURTAINS. INSTALLATION OF THE INCORRECT SRS DIAGNOSIS SENSOR UNIT DOES NOT..." 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 SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH OPTIONAL SEAT-MOUNTED SIDE AIR BAGS. ALL VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH STANDARD FRONTAL AIR BAGS AND SIDE AIR CURTAINS. INSTALLATION OF THE INCORRECT SRS DIAGNOSIS SENSOR UNIT DOES NOT IMPAIR DEPLOYMENT OF THE FRONTAL AIR BAG AND SIDE AIR CURTAIN IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. NO REPORTS OF NON-DEPLOYMENT OF THE SUBJECT SEAT-MOUNTED SIDE AIR BAGS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED BY THE MANUFACTURER OR BY NHTSA. THE WARRANTY REPORTS CITED ABOVE REPRESENT VEHICLE INSPECTIONS CONDUCTED UNDER THE SERVICE CAMPAIGN AND SENSOR REPLACEMENT WAS REQUIRED IN 32 OF THESE CASES. THE MANUFACTURER REPORTS A TOTAL OF 151 SENSOR UNITS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR ALL PURPOSES. INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED A LOW INCIDENCE OF SENSOR REPLACEMENT REQUIRED UNDER THE SERVICE CAMPAIGN TO DATE. NO INCIDENTS OF REAL WORLD NON-DEPLOYMENT OF THE SUBJECT AIR BAGS WERE IDENTIFIED. THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION IS CLOSED.
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.