Investigations
FUEL SPIT BACK DURING REFUELING
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE98052 - closed, opened 1998-09-25.
NHTSA investigation PE98052 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 1998-09-25 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1999-04-09 - 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 PE98052 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 SUBJECT VEHICLE IS FITTED WITH AN ONBOARD REFUELIG VAPOR RECOVERY (ORVR) SYSTEM, AS REQUIRED BY THE EPA. THE EPA SAFETY REQUIREMENTS, PREPARED IN COOPERATION WITH ,AND APPROVED BY NHTSA, REQUIRE VEHICLES TO BE REFUEL..." 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 SUBJECT VEHICLE IS FITTED WITH AN ONBOARD REFUELIG VAPOR RECOVERY (ORVR) SYSTEM, AS REQUIRED BY THE EPA. THE EPA SAFETY REQUIREMENTS, PREPARED IN COOPERATION WITH ,AND APPROVED BY NHTSA, REQUIRE VEHICLES TO BE REFUELED AT A RATE OF 10 GALLONS PER MINUTE (THE MAXIMUM RATE ALLOWED TO BE USED IN REFUELING STATIONS, BY EPA REGULATION) WITHOUT FUEL BEING FORCED OUT THE FUEL FILLER PIPE. THIS REQUIREMENT WAS BASED ON A HISTORY OF FIRES IN FILLING STATIONS AND INCIDENTS OF FUEL SPITTING BACK ARE CONSIDERED TO BE A FIRE SAFETY RISK. OF THE 114 COMPLAINTS AND WARRANTY CLAIMS ALLEGING PROBLEMS WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REFUEL THE VEHICLE, 27 SPECIFICALLY STATED THAT FUEL SPIT-BACK OUT OF THE FUEL FILLER PIPE. FORD REPORTS COMPLAINTS ARE STILL BEING RECEIVED.
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.