Investigations
DRIVER AIR BAG CLOCKSPRING FAILURE
NHTSA Recall Query RQ04001 - closed, opened 2004-01-28.
NHTSA investigation RQ04001 is a Recall Query opened on 2004-01-28 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2004-06-04 - 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 Recall Query like RQ04001 evaluates whether a previously issued recall is actually fixing the problem. NHTSA opens an RQ when owners continue to report the original defect after the recall remedy is installed, or when completion rates fall short of the agency's expectations for that risk tier.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "COMPLAINTS REPORT AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES, AND THIS MAY BE ACCOMPANIED WITH A NON-FUNCTIONING HORN AND/OR CRUISE CONTROL (IF EQUIPPED). THIS IS INDICATIVE OF AN OPEN-CIRCUIT CLOCKSPRING FAILURE (RESULTS IN NON-..." 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
COMPLAINTS REPORT AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES, AND THIS MAY BE ACCOMPANIED WITH A NON-FUNCTIONING HORN AND/OR CRUISE CONTROL (IF EQUIPPED). THIS IS INDICATIVE OF AN OPEN-CIRCUIT CLOCKSPRING FAILURE (RESULTS IN NON-FUNCTIONING DRIVER'S AIR BAG), SIMILAR TO THE FAILURE CONDITION THAT WAS THE SUBJECT OF DAIMLERCHRYSLER'S RECALL OF MODEL YEAR 1996-1998.5 MINIVANS (RECALL NO. 02V-293). THIS RECALL QUERY HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA04-013).
About This Investigation Type
A Recall Query (RQ) evaluates the effectiveness of a previously issued recall. NHTSA opens an RQ when consumer complaints suggest that a recall remedy may not be adequately addressing the safety issue, or when the recall completion rate appears insufficient.
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.