NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Engineering Analysis EA05-020: FAN BLADE FAILURE (ENGINE COOLING FAN)

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Engineering Analysis EA05-020 on November 14, 2005, the day it closed Preliminary Evaluation PE05-039, whose summary cites it, and closed it on September 12, 2006. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2000, 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee for it and links recall 06V-199 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: EA05-020 (also written EA05020)
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 September 12, 2006
Opened: November 14, 2005
Closed: September 12, 2006
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Component: Engine and Engine Cooling — Cooling System — Fan
Recall linked by NHTSA: 06V-199: ENGINE COOLING FAN BLADE FAILURE, reported June 8, 2006
Vehicles and equipment: 2000, 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Engineering Analysis EA05-020.

DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION (DCC) HAS NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL (06V199) OF CERTAIN JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE VEHICLES TO REPLACE THE ENGINE'S ELECTRIC MOTOR DRIVEN COOLING FAN. THE 182,875 VEHICLES INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ARE MODEL YEAR (MY) 2002 EQUIPPED WITH 4.0 LITER (SIX CYLINDER) ENGINES MANUFACTURED FROM FEBRUARY 4, 2002 THROUGH JUNE 17, 2002; AND MY 2000 EQUIPPED WITH EITHER THE 4.0 LITER (SIX CYLINDER) OR THE 4.7 LITER (EIGHT CYLINDER) ENGINE MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 31, 2000 THROUGH JUNE 12, 2000.

DCC NOTED THAT THEIR ANALYSIS OF FAILED PARTS SHOWED EVIDENCE OF BRITTLE FRACTURE OF THE FAN BLADE.DCC FURTHER STATED, POOR BONDING BETWEEN THE RESIN MATERIAL AND THE GLASS FIBERS WAS OBSERVED, WHICH MAY BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE INJECTION MOLDING PROCESS. SINCE THE ROOT CAUSE OF FAN FAILURE COULD NOT BE CONCLUSIVELY IDENTIFIED DCC DECIDED THE RECALL SCOPE WOULD BE DETERMINED BY THE BUILD DATE RANGE OF THE COMPLAINT VEHICLES.THERE WERE 48 REPORTS FOR MY 2000, AND 196 FOR MY 2002.

ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS ISSUE FOR REPORTS ON VEHICLES OUTSIDE OF THE RECALL SCOPE.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Engineering Analysis EA05-020. 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.

Jeep

Jeep Grand Cherokee
- 2000
- 2002

All Jeep 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.

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

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for EA05-020

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.