NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Engineering Analysis EA02-017: BURN INJURIES DUE TO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Engineering Analysis EA02-017 on August 16, 2002 and closed it on August 15, 2003. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2000–2001 Ford Focus for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- EA02-017 (also written EA02017)
- Investigation type
- Engineering Analysis A more detailed stage of a defect investigation, opened when NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation decides an issue merits further review, often after a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query; it can include vehicle testing, surveys and further information requests.
- Status
- Closed August 15, 2003
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Ford Motor Company
- Component
- Air Bags
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2000–2001 Ford Focus
A recall appears here only when NHTSA's investigations file links one to the investigation; NHTSA's summary or record can name others.
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Engineering Analysis EA02-017.
ALL OF THE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ALLEGE AN INCIDENT IN WHICH DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER FRONTAL AIR BAG CAUSED SOME TYPE OF BURN INJURY.MOST OF THESE INJURIES ARE DUE TO CONTACT AND/OR ABRASION WITH THE AIR BAG AND ARE OF RELATIVELY MINOR TO MODERATE SEVERITY.IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOME DRIVERS MAY HAVE SUSTAINED BURN INJURIES TO THE SKIN AS A RESULT OF HOT GASES EXHAUSTING FROM THE VENTS OF THE AIR BAGS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, BUT THE NUMBER OF SUCH INCIDENTS APPEARS TO BE LOW.FURTHER DETAILS OF THE INVESTIGATION ARE CONTAINED IN SUBSEQUENT PAGES OF THIS REPORT.BASED ON THE ABOVE, FURTHER EXPENDITURE OF AGENCY RESOURCES ON THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY MAY TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Engineering Analysis EA02-017. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
Ford
All Ford recallsWhat an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Ford VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for EA02-017
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.