Investigations
CHILD SAFETY SEAT BASE SEPARATION
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE96017 - closed, opened 1996-02-29.
NHTSA investigation PE96017 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 1996-02-29 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1996-09-11 - 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 PE96017 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: "THE COMPLAINT REPORTS ALLEGE THAT THE SEAT SEPARATES FROM THE BASE DURING SIDE IMPACT CRASHES. A TOTAL OF 13 COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED. IN MOST OF THESE, THE INFANT SEAT WAS INSTALLED INTO THE BACK SEAT OF THE VEHICL..." 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
THE COMPLAINT REPORTS ALLEGE THAT THE SEAT SEPARATES FROM THE BASE DURING SIDE IMPACT CRASHES. A TOTAL OF 13 COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED. IN MOST OF THESE, THE INFANT SEAT WAS INSTALLED INTO THE BACK SEAT OF THE VEHICLE. THERE ARE 6 CRASHES WITH IMPACTS TO THE RIGHT SIDE, 4 TO THE LEFT SIDE, 1 WITH IMPACTS TO BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE, AND 2 NOT REPROTED. THE SEATS ARE LABELED FOR INFANTS WEIGHTING LESS THAN 20 LBS; THE CRASH REPORTS INDICATE THAT THE WEIGHT OF THE INFANTS RANGED FROM 8 TO 17 LBS. (3 REPORTS DID NOT PROVIDE THE WEIGHT). THE SPEED OF THE IMPACTING VEHICLE WAS REPROTED IN ONLY 4 CASES, SPEEDS RANGED FROM 15 TO 55 MPH.
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.