Investigations
Child Seat Harness Buckle
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE12031 - closed, opened 2012-10-15.
NHTSA investigation PE12031 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2012-10-15 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2013-03-04 - 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 PE12031 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 investigation has been upgraded to Engineering Analysis EA 13-001 for further study. The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on 25 reports from consumers that alleged difficulty in u..." 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 investigation has been upgraded to Engineering Analysis EA 13-001 for further study. The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on 25 reports from consumers that alleged difficulty in unlatching the harness buckle on their subject child seat. Since opening the investigation, ODI has received 55 additional reports. Consumers state that excessive force and/or effort is required to push the button to unlatch the harness. Some reported not being able to unlatch the buckle at all and were forced to remove their child by pulling them through the still buckled harness, or in some cases, by cutting the harness straps. The subject child seats utilize two different types (designs) of harness buckles, the "Signature" and the "QT" types, both of which are subject to the investigation. Each buckle type operates differently and has dissimilar latching and actuating mechanisms. The Signature buckle has a sliding release button that must be pushed downward to release the harness, while the QT buckle has a button that must be pushed inward to be released. The ODI reports can be reviewed at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification (ODI) numbers: 10361369, 10366522, 10366645, 10366950, 10383056, 10397307, 10397449, 10406827, 10410574, 10413648, 10413817, 10414471, 10418155, 10421053, 10428246, 10430498, 10433600, 10444493, 10444593, 10454295, 10454393, 10454450, 10455029, 10456547, 10463507, 10466250, 10467797, 10473717, 10475529, 10475529, 10477267, 10478809, 10481182, 10481219, 10481233, 10481236, 10481243, 10482654, 10482941, 10483551, 10483732, 10483940, 10485417, 10486165, 10487751, 10487824, 10488855, 10489296, 10489536, 10489662, 10490292, 10491819, 10493243, 10493351, 10493614, 10493620, 10493649, 10493668, 10493716, 10494411, 10494567, 10494580, 10494635, 10494769, 10494876, 10495042, 10495130, 10495301, 10496034, 10496063, 10496146, 10496344, 10496470, 10497637, 10497771, 10498293, 10498308, 10498
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.