Investigations
STEERING WHEEL/SHAFT SPLINE ATTACHMENT
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE99074 - closed, opened 1999-12-13.
NHTSA investigation PE99074 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 1999-12-13 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2000-02-24 - 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 PE99074 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: "THIS PE WAS OPENED BASED ON ODI'S RECEIPT OF ONE COMPLAINT OF STEERING WHEEL SEPARATION ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. ALLEGEDLY (THAT IS, ACCORDING TO THE REPAIRING FACILITY'S SERVICE MANAGER) THE HUB NUT WAS NEVER INSTALLED..." 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
THIS PE WAS OPENED BASED ON ODI'S RECEIPT OF ONE COMPLAINT OF STEERING WHEEL SEPARATION ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. ALLEGEDLY (THAT IS, ACCORDING TO THE REPAIRING FACILITY'S SERVICE MANAGER) THE HUB NUT WAS NEVER INSTALLED ON THE SHAFT SPLINE. ALTHOUGH THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, HE/SHE WAS ABLE TO STOP WITHOUT IMPACTING ANYTHING. BASED ON OUR INVESTIGATION AND THE MANUFACTURER'S RESPONSE, ODI IS CLOSING THIS INVESTIGATION BECAUSE THE SINGLE KNOWN COMPLAINT APPEARS TO BE AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. FURTHER, CHRYSLER HAS NO OTHER WARRANTY CLAIMS AND HAS NOT ISSUED ANY SERVICE BULLETINS. IN SUMMARY, A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND 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 CONTTINUE 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.