Investigations
LOSS OF POWER BRK ASSIST
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE87013 - closed, opened 1987-01-06 and involving the CHRYSLER CHRYSLER.
NHTSA investigation PE87013 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 1987-01-06 and currently closed. The subject of record is CHRYSLER CHRYSLER, which places this file inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue for CHRYSLER. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1987-10-01 - 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 PE87013 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 MANUFACTURE: CHRYSLER RECALLED, IN CANADA,67,602 1984 THROUGH 1987 PASSENGER CARS, TRUCKS, AND VANS EQUIPPED WITH THE5.2L ENGINE FOR INTERMITTENT LOSS OF THE BRAKE POWER ASSIST ON THE SECONDAP..." 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 CHRYSLER 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 MANUFACTURE: CHRYSLER RECALLED, IN CANADA,67,602 1984 THROUGH 1987 PASSENGER CARS, TRUCKS, AND VANS EQUIPPED WITH THE5.2L ENGINE FOR INTERMITTENT LOSS OF THE BRAKE POWER ASSIST ON THE SECONDAPPLICATION OF THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE DEFECT WAS A RESULT OF THE BRAKEBOOSTER VACUUM HOSE PORT IN THE BASE OF THE CARBURETOR BEING BLOCKED WITHFROZEN MOISTURE AFTER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF HIGHWAY DRIVING AT LOW AMBIENTTEMPERATURES. TO PREVENT THIS DEFECT FROM OCCURRING, THE VACUUM SOURCE FORTHE BRAKE BOOSTER WAS RELOCATED FROM THE BASE OF THE CARBURETOR TO THEINTAKE MANIFOLD. IT WAS STATED THAT REPORTS OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT HAVEOCCURRED IN THE NORTHERN AREAS OF CANADA, AND THAT CHRYSLER WAS AWARE OF NOSIMILAR REPORTS IN THE UNITED STATES.ANALYSIS: A REVIEW OF THE MANUFACTURER'S DATA INDICATED AT LEAST 4 SIMILARU.S. VEHICLES HAVE EXPERIENCED "FAILURES" CONSISTENT WITH THOSE REPORTED INTHE CANADIAN MARKET. ONE VEHICLE WAS A MANUFACTURER TEST VEHICLE. THESTATES IN WHICH THESE REPORTED "FAILURES" OCCURRED ARE ALASKA, WISCONSIN,AND MINNESOTA (2).PROPOSED ACTION: CLOSE THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION AND OPEN AN ENGINEERINGANALYSIS.===
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 CHRYSLER Investigations
Recall 23V-413 Post Remedy Failures
Intermittent Loss of Electric Power Steering
Recall 19V-293 Post Remedy Failures
Engine Stall With Intermittent Restart
Loss of motive power due to an internal wiring connector short.
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.