Investigations
SUDDEN ACCELERATION
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE86066 - closed, opened 1986-07-28 and involving the HONDA HONDA.
NHTSA investigation PE86066 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 1986-07-28 and currently closed. The subject of record is HONDA HONDA, which places this file inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue for HONDA. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1986-11-03 - 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 PE86066 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: INFORMATION FROM HONDA RELEVANTTO THIS PE WAS PROVIDED BY LETTER DATED 8 SEPTEMBER AND A PRESENTATION TONHTSA ON 2 OCTOBER. HONDA HAS ISSUED NO TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS OROTHE..." 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. Related HONDA files, listed below, give context on whether this is an isolated concern or part of a broader pattern across the brand.
Investigation Summary
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER: INFORMATION FROM HONDA RELEVANTTO THIS PE WAS PROVIDED BY LETTER DATED 8 SEPTEMBER AND A PRESENTATION TONHTSA ON 2 OCTOBER. HONDA HAS ISSUED NO TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS OROTHER NOTIFICATIONS TO DEALERS RELATING TO FUEL FLOW AND DELIVERY, THROTTLECONTROL, OR ENGINE MALFUNCTIONS THAT MAY RESULT IN UNINTENDED SUDDENACCELERATION. THE AFFECTED VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH A CARBURETOR DESIGNWHICH, ACCORDING TO HONDA'S EVALUATION, WILL NOT PERMIT ENGINE RPM TOEXCEED A "FAST IDLE" CONDITION OF 2000 RPM WITHOUT DRIVER ACTUATION OF THETHROTTLE. TEST DATA WERE PROVIDED TO SHOW THAT AN ENGINE SPEED OF 2000 RPMWITH THE TRANSMISSION IN THE "PARK" POSITION WOULD, WHEN SHIFTED INTO"DRIVE", YIELD A VEHICLE SPEED OF 8 MPH AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10 SECONDS.OTHER TEST DATA WERE PROVIDED TO SUPPORT HONDA'S POSITION THAT FAILEDENGINE MOUNTS WOULD NOT CONTRIBUTE TO SUDDEN VEHICLE ACCELERATION ASALLEGED IN THIS PE.ANALYSIS: THE FOLLOWING ARE CONSIDERED SIGNIFICANT OBSERVATIONS AND/ORANALYTICAL ASSESSMENTS OF THE FACTS IN THIS PE FILE: O THE ALLEGED INCIDENTS ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE FROM OTHER PE/EA FILES IN THAT THEY TEND TO EMPHASIZE OCCURRENCE OF THE PHENOMENON WHEN THE TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTED FROM "PARK" INTO ANOTHER GEAR. O A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THE REPORTED OCCURRENCES ALSO INVOLVE ACCIDENTS,BUT THE RELATIVELY LOW PERCENTAGE OF INJURY ACCIDENTS SUGGESTS THAT MOST ARE LOW SPEED COLLISIONS. O HONDA HAS NOT IDENTIFIED, AND ODI'S ANALYSES HAVE NOT DISCOVERED, A TREND OF MECHANICAL OR ELECTRICAL COMPONENT FAILURE WITH A CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP TO THE ALLEGED OCCURRENCES.IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE, ANALYSIS OF THE RATES OF ALLEGED INCIDENTS,ACCIDENTS, AND INJURY ACCIDENTS WITH RESPECT TO THE TOTAL VEHICLEPOPULATION OF 746,000, SHOWS THAT THE HONDA ACCORD COMPARES FAVORABLYTO OTHER VEHICLES REPORTED TO HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR OCCURRENCES.THIS ANALYSIS, TOGETHER WITH OTHER INFORMATION ACQUIRED, SHOWS THAT NODEFECT TREND EXISTS TO JUSTIFY CONTINUATION OF INVESTI
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.
Other HONDA Investigations
Inaccurate Rear Passenger Seat Belt Warning Status
Loss of Motive Power
Inadvertent Deployment of Side Air Bags
Engine failure
No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages
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.