Investigations
Fuel loss from the capless fuel fill neck while the vehicle is in motion.
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE21012 — closed, opened 2021-05-17 and involving the FERRARI FERRARI.
NHTSA investigation PE21012 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2021-05-17 and currently closed. The subject of record is FERRARI FERRARI, which places this file inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue for FERRARI. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2024-02-16 — 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 PE21012 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: "On 17 May 2021, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE21-012 to investigate two complaints and a third allegation verified from a public forum alleging fuel loss from the subject vehicle originating from the..." 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
On 17 May 2021, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE21-012 to investigate two complaints and a third allegation verified from a public forum alleging fuel loss from the subject vehicle originating from the fuel fill location while in motion. ODI has not received any new allegations since PE12-012 opened. Field data provided by Ferrari in response to ODI's information request letter for PE21-012 identified fifty four total unique reports applicable to the fuel fill neck through field reports and consumer allegations on vehicles equipped with the same fuel fill neck part number as the three reports that prompted PE21-012. Six allegations reported difficulty refueling the vehicle. The other forty-seven reports pertained to fuel fill neck replacement. Within those allegations, seven replacements indicated a fuel leak condition. A single instance was identified with a fuel loss when the vehicle was stationary. The majority of component replacement (thirty three) was the result of damage to the fuel fill neck, resulting in various user observable system failures; a check engine light, broken components, and/or gasoline smell. Seven repairs to the system did not identify the cause for replacement. ODI's analysis of the system design and reported failures did not identify a trend of failures leading to a significant fuel loss while the vehicle is stationary or in motion. Component replacement rate for the part number identified in the original allegations was higher than the successor components, however a fuel loss condition was recorded at 0.1% of the vehicles manufactured with the fuel fill fill neck identified in the investigation. Ferrari's investigations of the component failures assess the root cause to be operator misuse. Based on the review of the data provided and the low rate of fuel loss condition from the vehicle while in motion or stationary, the investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not prevent the agency from taking f
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. Learn more.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.