NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Engineering Analysis EA03-018: IGNITION-PARK INTERLOCK SYSTEM

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Engineering Analysis EA03-018 on September 9, 2003 and closed it on November 13, 2003. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2002 Honda CR-V for it and links recall 03V-422 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: EA03-018 (also written EA03018)
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 November 13, 2003
Opened: September 9, 2003
Closed: November 13, 2003
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Components: Electrical System — Ignition — Switch; Power Train — Automatic Transmission — Lever and Linkage — Column Shift; Steering — Column Locking — Anti-Theft Device
Recall linked by NHTSA: 03V-422: HONDA/METAL PARTICLES IN IGNITION, reported October 27, 2003
Vehicles and equipment: 2002 Honda CR-V

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Engineering Analysis EA03-018.

ALL BUT ONE ODI COMPLAINT AND ALL ODI CRASHES ARE DUPLICATIVE OF HONDA REPORTS.ALL 7 CRASHES WERE ROLL-AWAY CRASHES THAT OCCURRED WHEN THE INTERLOCK SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED AND THE VEHICLES WERE PARKED UNSECURED (NOT IN PARK, BRAKE NOT ENGAGED).

THE 3 NOTED INJURIES WERE RELATIVELY MINOR.THE WARRANTY CLAIMS SHOWN UNDER OTHER WERE CONFIRMED BY HONDA AS INTERLOCK SYSTEM FAILURES.IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLE IGNITION-PARK INTERLOCK SYSTEM, AN ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN SOLENOID OPERATES A BLOCKING LEVER TO PREVENT IGNITION KEY REMOVAL WHEN THE SHIFT LEVER IS NOT IN THE PARK POSITION.ACCORDING TO HONDA, AN IGNITION SWITCH MANUFACTURING OPERATION COULD OCCASIONALLY PRODUCE METAL DEBRIS.IN SOME CASES THE DEBRIS COULD FALL INTO THE AREA BETWEEN THE INTERLOCK LEVER AND THE BODY OF THE IGNITION SWITCH WHERE RELATIVE MOVEMENT OCCURS.DEBRIS TRAPPED IN THIS AREA CAN INCREASE FRICTION BETWEEN THE LEVER AND THE SWITCH BODY.IF THE DEBRIS IS OF SUFFICIENT SIZE, IT MAY SLOW THE RESPONSE OF THE LEVEL WHEN THE SOLENOID IS ENERGIZED.IN THIS SITUATION, IF THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT IN PARK AND THE IGNITION KEY IS ROTATED IN A CERTAIN MANNER THE INTERLOCK SYSTEM MAY FAIL TO PREVENT KEY REMOVAL, AS REQUIRED UNDER FMVSS 114.

HONDA IMPLEMENTED MANUFACTURING CHANGES IN MARCH 2002 TO PREVENT DEBRIS FROM ENTERING THE IGNITION SWITCH ASSEMBLY.HONDA ALSO CHANGED END-OF-LINE INSPECTION PROCEDURES TO IMPROVE DETECTION OF DEBRIS.THE PRESENCE OF DEBRIS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH IS OTHERWISE UNAPPARENT TO THE OPERATOR OF THE VEHICLE.UNDER SAFETY RECALL 03V-422, HONDA WILL RECALL VEHICLES MANUFACTURED PRIOR TO MARCH 2002 TO TEST THE INTERLOCK SYSTEM FOR THE PRESENCE OF DEBRIS.VEHICLES THAT FAIL THE TEST WILL RECEIVE NEW IGNITION SWITCH ASSEMBLIES.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Engineering Analysis EA03-018. 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.

Honda

Honda CR-V
- 2002

All Honda recalls

What 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.

Honda VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for EA03-018

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.