Investigations
Air Bag Clockspring Wiring Failure
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE15025 - closed, opened 2015-06-19.
NHTSA investigation PE15025 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2015-06-19 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2015-12-07 - 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 PE15025 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: "In it's response to ODI's PE15-025 Information Request letter, FCA identified 1,703 consumer complaints, field reports and legal claims responsive to the subject defect condition on the subject Wrangler vehicles. Six of..." 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
In it's response to ODI's PE15-025 Information Request letter, FCA identified 1,703 consumer complaints, field reports and legal claims responsive to the subject defect condition on the subject Wrangler vehicles. Six of these reports alleged an air bag non-deployment in a crash in which either the air bag warning light was allegedly on or came on afterward the crash, one of which also alleged injuries as a result of the non-deployment. FCA also provided data on other make, model and model year vehicles using the same clockspring. Additionally FCA provided 16,955 warranty claims related to the replacement of the air bag clockspring wiring assembly. It should be noted that FCA initiated an Extended Warranty Program on the left hand drive MY 2007 Wrangler in late calendar year 2011. 6,777 of these claims are from the MY 2007 left hand drive Wrangler. FCA advises that some of the warranty claims involved clockspring failures that would not affect the air bag operation, for example due to noise, cruise control and/or radio operation issues. Many of these claims involved newer model year subject vehicles. FCA also noted that Wrangler's removable roof and door configuration may make it more susceptible to outdoor water/moisture and dust ingress. ODI investigated the right hand drive Wrangler in calender year 2011 for a similar clockspring issue under PE11-019. That investigation lead to NHTSA Safety Recall 11V258 on right hand drive model year (MY) 2008-2012 Wranglers. FCA redesigned the remedy clockspring to improve its durability and environmental protection and revised the design of the steering wheel to column shroud. Base on the data reviewed, this Preliminary Analysis (PE) is being upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA). The reports cited above are listed in the public investigative file available at SaferCar.gov under this investigation ID.
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.