Investigations
FIRES
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE86048 - closed, opened 1986-04-23.
NHTSA investigation PE86048 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 1986-04-23 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1986-12-01 - 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 PE86048 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: "SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:THE ALLEGED FIRES RESULT FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF CAUSES, WITH THE REPORTEDRATES OF FIRES FOR 1984-85 MODELS VERSUS THE 85 1/2 MODELS REMAININGAPPROXIMATELY THE SAME. THESE RATES AR..." 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
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:THE ALLEGED FIRES RESULT FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF CAUSES, WITH THE REPORTEDRATES OF FIRES FOR 1984-85 MODELS VERSUS THE 85 1/2 MODELS REMAININGAPPROXIMATELY THE SAME. THESE RATES ARE SIGNIFIGANTLY LESS THAN THEINDUSTRY AVERAGE FOR NON-COLLISION VEHICLE FIRES AS REPORTED IN THE SAEPAPER "MOTOR VEHICLE NON-CRASH FIRES" BY PETER COOLEY OF THE HSRI.THE HEAD GASKET WAS REVISED ON THE 1.9L 2V OR EFI ENGINES TO SERVICE OILLEAKS ON THE INTAKE MANIFOLD SIDE OF THE ENGINE.ANALYSIS:A REVIEW OF THE REPORTED INCIDENTS SHOWED 8 GROUPS OF PROBABLE CAUSATION: A) APPEARS TO BE CATALYTIC CONVERTER RELATED: ~30% B) WIRING BENEATH REAR SEAT: ~5% C) OIL LEAKS FROM CRACKED CYLINDER HEADS OR BLOCKS}: ~5-10% D) OIL LEAKS FROM POORLY FITTED VALVE COVERS: ~5% E) ELECTRICAL FIRES IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT: ~5% F) ELECTRICAL FIRES IN INTERIOR OR UNDER DASH: ~5% G) FUEL RELATED FIRES: ~9%IN COMPARISON TO THE OTHER CLASSIFIED PROBABLE CAUSES, THE EXHAUST SYSTEMRELATED FIRES APPEAR TO BE OVERLY REPRESENTED. A CATALYTIC CONVERTERMALFUNCTION OR THE ENVIRONMENTAL UNSUITABILITY OF ADJACENT MATERIALS AREPOTENTIAL CAUSES. HOWEVER, BOTH THIS AND OTHER HYPOTHESES REQUIREFURTHER STUDY TO DETERMINE WHETHER A SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS. ALL APPEARTO NEED LAB OR FIELD TESTING.PROPOSED ACTION:UPGRADE THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS.===
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.