Investigations
CONVERTIBLE TOP OPENING WHILE DRIVING
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE97050 - closed, opened 1997-12-19.
NHTSA investigation PE97050 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 1997-12-19 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1998-05-29 - 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 PE97050 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: "ELECTRICALLY POWERED CONVERTIBLE TOP LATCHES MOUNTED IN THE WINDSHIELD FRAME WORK ARE ALLEGED TO RELEASE WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING THE CONVERTIBLE TOP TO VIOLENTL OPEN WHILE DRIVING...." 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
ELECTRICALLY POWERED CONVERTIBLE TOP LATCHES MOUNTED IN THE WINDSHIELD FRAME WORK ARE ALLEGED TO RELEASE WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING THE CONVERTIBLE TOP TO VIOLENTL OPEN WHILE DRIVING.
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.