Investigations
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE99067 - closed, opened 1999-11-01.
NHTSA investigation PE99067 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 1999-11-01 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2000-05-31 - 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 PE99067 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 HAS RECEIVED 5,820 COMPLAINTS CONCERNING A VARIETY OF ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURES THAT RESULT IN THE VEHICLE STALLING. OUR COMPLAINT ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT THE MAJORITY OF THESE COMPAINTS ARE CAUSED BY ALTERNATOR FAI..." 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
ODI HAS RECEIVED 5,820 COMPLAINTS CONCERNING A VARIETY OF ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURES THAT RESULT IN THE VEHICLE STALLING. OUR COMPLAINT ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT THE MAJORITY OF THESE COMPAINTS ARE CAUSED BY ALTERNATOR FAILURE. IN SOME INSTANCES, THE VEHICLE IS COMPLETELY DEAD AND WILL NOT RESTART. BASED ON OUR INVESTIGATION AND THE MANUFACTURER'S RESPOMSE, ODI IS CLOSING THIS INVESTIGATION BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER HAS AGREED TO PERFORM THE OWNER NORTIFICATION PROGRAM CITED ABOVE, INCLUDING QUARTERLY NOTIFICATIONS TO ODI. THIS PROGRAM ALLOWS OWNERS TO GET THEIR ALTERNATOR REPLACED FOR FREE. FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED. THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS. ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS MATTER CLOSELY, AND THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION ON THESE MODELS IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
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.