Investigations
ELECT. FAILURES/FIRES
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE87004 - closed, opened 1986-11-05.
NHTSA investigation PE87004 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 1986-11-05 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1987-07-16 - 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 PE87004 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: MANUFACTURER REPORTS INCLUDE 1OWNER COMPLAINT, 45 FIELD REPORTS, AND 2 LAWSUITS. NO SERVICE OR TECHNICALBULLETINS HAVE BEEN ISSUED TO DEALERS. GM REPORTED THAT ELECTRICAL SYSTEMM..." 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: MANUFACTURER REPORTS INCLUDE 1OWNER COMPLAINT, 45 FIELD REPORTS, AND 2 LAWSUITS. NO SERVICE OR TECHNICALBULLETINS HAVE BEEN ISSUED TO DEALERS. GM REPORTED THAT ELECTRICAL SYSTEMMODIFICATIONS HAD BEEN INITIATED FOR BOTH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WIRING HAR-NESS AND THE NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE IN EARLY 1982 TO REDUCE THE POTENTIALOF CONDUIT ABRASION. IN ADDITION, ENGINE AND ALTERNATOR WIRING HARNESSASSEMBLIES WERE REVISED BY ADDING A CORROSION PREVENTIVE COMPOUND TO THE2-WAY ALTERNATOR CONNECTOR CIRCUITS IN EARLY 1981.ANALYSIS: REPORTS INCLUDE DESCRIPTIONS OF UNSPECIFIED ELECTRICAL SYSTEMMALFUNCTIONS, INCLUDING BLOWN FUSES RESULTING IN LOSS OF WINDSHIELD WIPERS,ABRADED WIRING, POOR ENGINE PERFORMANCE, VEHICLE STALLING, AND ELECTRICALFIRES. NO SAFETY RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED.PROPOSED ACTION: CLOSE THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION.===
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.