Investigations
ALLEGED ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE08007 — closed, opened 2008-01-29 and involving the LAMBORGHINI.
Vehicle: LAMBORGHINI
NHTSA investigation PE08007 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2008-01-29 and currently closed. The subject of record is LAMBORGHINI, which places this file inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue for LAMBORGHINI. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2008-06-04 — 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 PE08007 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 PRELIMINARY EVALUATION WAS OPENED TO INVESTIGATE THREE REPORTS OF ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. TWO OF THE REPORTS ALLEGED THAT A FIRE OCCURRED WHILE REFUELING. THE THIRD ALLEGES A FIRE OCCURRED..." 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 PRELIMINARY EVALUATION WAS OPENED TO INVESTIGATE THREE REPORTS OF ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. TWO OF THE REPORTS ALLEGED THAT A FIRE OCCURRED WHILE REFUELING. THE THIRD ALLEGES A FIRE OCCURRED WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING. INFORMATION PROVIDED BY LAMBORGHINI IN RESPONSE TO ODI'S INFORMATION REQUEST LETTER IDENTIFIED FOUR ADDITIONAL ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES INVOLVING THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. FOUR OF THE 7 TOTAL FIRE INCIDENTS REPORTED TO EITHER ODI OR LAMBORGHINI WERE ALLEGED TO BE CAUSED BY RUPTURES OF VARIOUS E-GEAR (HYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM) HYDRAULIC FLUID LINES SPRAYING HYDRAULIC FLUID ON HOT EXHAUST COMPONENTS. EACH OF THESE INCIDENTS INVOLVED DIFFERENT E-GEAR HYDRAULIC LINES OR FITTINGS (THERE ARE FIVE HYDRAULIC LINES IN THE E-GEAR SYSTEM) AND A REVIEW OF INCIDENT VEHICLE SERVICE HISTORIES INDICATES THAT PRIOR REPAIRS MAY HAVE BEEN FACTORS IN ALL FOUR OF THESE FIRES. ODI'S ANALYSIS OF THE TWO INCIDENTS OF FIRE THAT OCCURRED WHILE REFUELING DID NOT IDENTIFY ANY VEHICLE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE FIRES. BASED ON THE INFORMATION PROVIDED AND CONSUMER DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INCIDENTS, ODI CANNOT CONCLUDE THAT THE FIRES ORIGINATED WITHIN THE VEHICLES AND NOT ON THE GROUND IN THE VICINITY OF THE VEHICLES. LAMBORGHINI'S ASSESSMENT OF THE SEVENTH FIRE IS THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE FUEL RETURN LINE WAS IMPROPERLY RECONNECTED AFTER A FUEL SENDING UNIT REPLACEMENT. SERVICE HISTORY INFORMATION SHOWS THAT THE FIRE OCCURRED 3 DAYS AND 100 MILES AFTER THE SENDING UNIT REPLACEMENT. NO SAFETY RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED. THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST. THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR COMPLAINTS AND OTHER INFORMATION RELATING TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AND TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN THE FUTURE IF WARRANTED.
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. Learn more.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.