Investigations
CRACKING OF PLASTIC SHELL
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE88031 - closed, opened 1988-03-11.
NHTSA investigation PE88031 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 1988-03-11 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1988-07-05 - 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 PE88031 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: ACCORDING TO IT'S LETTERS OF APRIL 21 AND MAY 24, 1988, CENTURY STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE ALLEGED SHELL CRACKS IS UNKNOWN IN THE EIGHT REPORTED CASES. THE CRACKS COULD HAVE RESULTED FROM HANDLING, SHIPPING, D..." 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: ACCORDING TO IT'S LETTERS OF APRIL 21 AND MAY 24, 1988, CENTURY STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE ALLEGED SHELL CRACKS IS UNKNOWN IN THE EIGHT REPORTED CASES. THE CRACKS COULD HAVE RESULTED FROM HANDLING, SHIPPING, DROPPING, ETC. THE ONLY SEAT CASTING TO HAVE EVER CRACKED IN THE BELT SLOT AREA IS THAT FROM WYCHERS. THEY MAY HAVE INADVERTANTLY POSITIONED THE SEAT FORWARD FACING WHICH IS NOT DESIGNED OR ALLOWED FOR. ADDITIONALLY, CENTURY CONDUCTED 12 TESTS ON 12 SUBJECT SEATS AND THEY COMPLIED WITH ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 213. THE NHTSA ALSO CONDUCTED TESTS ON THE CHILD SEATS IN APRIL 1987. THE TEST RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE CHILD RESTRAINT COMPLIED WITH ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 213.===
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.