Investigations
INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE LACERATION HAZARD
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE08071 - closed, opened 2008-12-15.
NHTSA investigation PE08071 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2008-12-15 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2009-05-29 - 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 PE08071 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 MANUFACTURER HAS ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL NOTIFICATION AS A RESULT OF THIS INVESTIGATION. THE RECALL AFFECTS 91,202 MY 2002-2003 SUBJECT VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM JANUARY 28, 2002, THROUGH MARCH 22, 2003. THE VEHICLE RECA..." 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 MANUFACTURER HAS ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL NOTIFICATION AS A RESULT OF THIS INVESTIGATION. THE RECALL AFFECTS 91,202 MY 2002-2003 SUBJECT VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM JANUARY 28, 2002, THROUGH MARCH 22, 2003. THE VEHICLE RECALL POPULATION WAS DEFINED BY THE MANUFACTURER'S USE OF A NEW SUPPLIER FOR THE CHROME PLATING PROCESS BEGINNING IN JANUARY 2002, AND A PRODUCTION CHANGE IN MARCH 2003 TO IMPROVE ADHESION OF THE PLATING TO THE DOOR HANDLE. VEHICLES BEING RECALLED REPRESENT 59 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL MY 2002-2003 PRODUCTION, BUT ACCOUNT FOR 91 PERCENT OF THE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS RECEIVED. THE PROCESS CHANGE FOR MY 2002 VEHICLES RESULTED IN A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN COMPLAINTS (1200 PERCENT ON A PER UNIT RATE BASIS). MY 2003 VEHICLES BUILT AFTER MARCH 2003 PRODUCTION CHANGE SHOWED A SIMILAR DECLINE IN THE COMPLAINT RATE. BASED ON THE MANUFACTURER'S ACTION, 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.