Investigations
Fuel Tank Outlet Flange Leak
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE20018 - closed, opened 2020-11-05.
NHTSA investigation PE20018 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2020-11-05 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2022-03-24 - 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 PE20018 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 Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE20-018 on November 5th, 2020, to investigate fuel leak allegations in vehicles equipped with fuel tank outlet flange Part Number AH229039AB. ODI based the investigation..." 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 Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE20-018 on November 5th, 2020, to investigate fuel leak allegations in vehicles equipped with fuel tank outlet flange Part Number AH229039AB. ODI based the investigation on six consumer complaints it had received and, using information gathered from RQ19-004, five field reports and 200 warranty claims in the subject vehicles. At the closing date of PE20-018, the number of related complaints received by ODI has risen to fifteen. In response to an ODI Information Request (IR) letter, Land Rover identified: 57 additional warranty claims (257 total), four additional consumer complaints (ten total), and five dealer field reports. Land Rover’s internal investigation identified a cyclic fuel pressure condition that led to cracks forming in the outlet flanges, resulting in fuel leaks. Fuel tank outlet flange revisions to the subject AH229039AB component increased the rigidity of the outlet flange in the area experiencing the highest stress. As Land Rover continued to assess field returned components, they identified cracks in the vicinity of subsurface voids in the subsequent AH229039AC and AH229039AD fuel tank outlet flanges. Based on the information gathered, Land Rover‘s Recall Determination Committee (RDC) elected to recall vehicles with the subject fuel outlet flange and expanded the scope to include all vehicles equipped with fuel outlet flange Part Numbers AH229039AA, AH229039AB, AH229039AC, and AH229039AD. Land Rover will replace the previously listed part numbers with an updated design which reduces the pressures exerted on the fuel flange. Recall 21V-635 (covering MY2010-2013 Range Rover Sport and MY2010-2016 LR4 vehicles equipped with 3.0L V6 or 5.0L V8 engines) was reported to NHTSA on February 16, 2021. An interim owner notification letter was distributed in October 2021 alerting owners to the defect and the availability of like for like replacements until the remedy parts become available. Land Rover has indica
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.