Investigations
SEAT BACK WARMER OVERHEATS/BURNS
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE08030 - closed, opened 2008-04-25.
NHTSA investigation PE08030 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2008-04-25 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2008-09-09 - 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 PE08030 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 INVESTIGATION CONCERNS THE SEAT BACK WARMER INSTALLED IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT THROUGH MAY 2007, EQUIPPED WITH THE "CTX' CARBOTEX SEAT WARMER DESIGN. THE DATA DISCLOSE FEW COMPLAINTS AND..." 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 INVESTIGATION CONCERNS THE SEAT BACK WARMER INSTALLED IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT THROUGH MAY 2007, EQUIPPED WITH THE "CTX' CARBOTEX SEAT WARMER DESIGN. THE DATA DISCLOSE FEW COMPLAINTS AND WARRANTY REPORTS CONCERNING THIS ISSUE. NONE OF THE "FIRE" REPORTS INVOLVED OPEN FLAME, BUT WERE THERMAL INCIDENTS IN WHICH THE SEAT CUSHION SUSTAINED DISCOLORATION OR A HOLE BURNED IN THE SEAT COVER. THE REPORTED INJURY APPEARED TO BE MINOR. THE SUBJECT SEAT WARMER DESIGN WAS ALSO INSTALLED IN MY 2006 M-CLASS VEHICLES AND THOSE DATA ALSO SHOW FEW INCIDENTS. A SAFETY DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED. THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN 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.