Investigations
INADVERTENT MOVEMENT OF SHIFTER
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE95041 — closed, opened 1995-06-23 and involving the DODGE DAKOTA.
NHTSA investigation PE95041 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 1995-06-23 and currently closed. The subject of record is DODGE DAKOTA, which places this file inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue for DODGE. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1996-05-31 — 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 PE95041 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: "ODI RECEIVED AN INQUIRY REGARDING ALLEGED PARK TO REVERSE PROBLEMS WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS ON 1991 AND 1992 DODGE DAKOTA PICUP TRUCKS. THE ODI DATABASE REVEALED 11 COMPLAINTS, SEVERAL OF WHICH HAD BEEN REPORTED..." 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 DODGE files, listed below, give context on whether this is an isolated concern or part of a broader pattern across the brand.
Investigation Summary
ODI RECEIVED AN INQUIRY REGARDING ALLEGED PARK TO REVERSE PROBLEMS WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS ON 1991 AND 1992 DODGE DAKOTA PICUP TRUCKS. THE ODI DATABASE REVEALED 11 COMPLAINTS, SEVERAL OF WHICH HAD BEEN REPORTED IN THE MONTHS JUST PRECEDING THE OPENING OF THE PE. THE CONSUMERS CLAIM THAT THEY MOVE THE VEHICLE, PLACE THE TRANSMISSION IN "PARK" AND EXIT THE VEHICLE. THEN, ALMOST ALWAYS WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, THE VEHICLE ALLEGEDLY "SHIFTS" INTO REVERSE THE VEHICLE THEN BEGINS TO BACK UP, USUALLY STOPPING ONLY WHEN IT HITS SOMETHING.
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 DODGE Investigations
Vehicle entrapment
Back up camera failure
Vehicle entrapment
Active Head Rest Inadvertent Deployment
Chrysler's execution of 13V-528 & 529
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. Learn more.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.