Investigations
Aux. Brake Failure - Adaptive Equipment
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE12024 - closed, opened 2012-08-17.
NHTSA investigation PE12024 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2012-08-17 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2012-09-13 - 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 PE12024 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 electronic gas/brake system allows vehicle operation by a driver's hands instead of their feet and is equipped with a redundant (auxiliary) brake system so that a failure of the primary braking system does no..." 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 electronic gas/brake system allows vehicle operation by a driver's hands instead of their feet and is equipped with a redundant (auxiliary) brake system so that a failure of the primary braking system does not result in a total loss of brakes. The cited incident involved a situation where the driver was unaware that auxiliary system was malfunctioning and, when the primary system failed, she was unable to stop the vehicle. The recall will remedy this issue by retrofitting system-equipped vehicles with a warning protocol to alert drivers that the auxiliary system is fully operational. The recall (12E-034) was submitted after agency discussions with Automotive Innovations Inc. staff and before an Information Request letter was sent.
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.