Investigations
Interior Door Handle Laceration Risk
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE09044 - closed, opened 2009-09-14.
NHTSA investigation PE09044 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2009-09-14 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2010-05-23 - 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 PE09044 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 statistical data regarding problem experience in the table above are net counts for unique vehicles. Review of information in this PE discloses that while accounting for approximately two-thirds of the total populati..." 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 statistical data regarding problem experience in the table above are net counts for unique vehicles. Review of information in this PE discloses that while accounting for approximately two-thirds of the total population, MY 2007 subject vehicles are cited in more than 90 percent of the consumer complaints, injury reports, and warranty claims, respectively. In addition, improvements in the door handle manufacturing process during the MY 2007 production resulted in a decline in the occurrence of peeling/flaking of the thin chrome plating. Other environmental factors were also identified that may have influenced the occurrence of the condition which poses the alleged safety risk. Additional analysis is required to identify the specific vehicles most susceptible to peeling or separation of the chrome plating from the handle, and to assess the significance of its occurrence. This PE has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis to facilitate further study.
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.