Investigations
PASSENGER COMPARTMENT FIRE
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE99007 - closed, opened 1999-01-29 and involving the VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN.
NHTSA investigation PE99007 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 1999-01-29 and currently closed. The subject of record is VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN, which places this file inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue for VOLKSWAGEN. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1999-02-08 - 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 PE99007 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: "IN ITS LETTER DATED FEBRUARY 4, 1999, VOLKSWAGEN STATED THAT IT WILL RECALL APPROXIMATELY 23,600 REDESIGNED 1999 JETTA AND GOLF 4-DOOR VEHICLES, OF WHICH APPROXIMATELY 11,000 HAVE BEEN SOLD TO CUSTOMERS, TO CORRECT A DEF..." 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 VOLKSWAGEN files, listed below, give context on whether this is an isolated concern or part of a broader pattern across the brand.
Investigation Summary
IN ITS LETTER DATED FEBRUARY 4, 1999, VOLKSWAGEN STATED THAT IT WILL RECALL APPROXIMATELY 23,600 REDESIGNED 1999 JETTA AND GOLF 4-DOOR VEHICLES, OF WHICH APPROXIMATELY 11,000 HAVE BEEN SOLD TO CUSTOMERS, TO CORRECT A DEFECT THAT MAY CAUSE A FIRE IN THE PASSENGEER COMPARTMENT AFTER A VEHICLE COLLISION. A SOUND INSULATION MATERIAL ATTACHED TO THE INSIDE OF THE B-PILLAR TRIM PANEL COULD HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED. IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION SEVERE ENOUGH TO ACTIVATE THE SEAT BELT PRETENSIONER, THE HOT EXHAUST GAS FROM THE PRETENSIONER COULD IGNITE THE INSULATION MATERIAL IF IT IS TOO CLOSE TO THE PRETENSIONER. VOLKSWAGEN DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE INSULATION MATERIAL FROM THE B-PILLARS.
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 VOLKSWAGEN Investigations
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
Inadvertent Door Opening
Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
LGES High Voltage Battery Failures
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.