NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Engineering Analysis EA06-004: STEERING WHEEL AND STEERING SHAFT BOLTS
- No closing date on file
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Engineering Analysis EA06-004 on March 9, 2006; NHTSA's investigations file gives no closing date for it. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Dodge Durango and Dakota for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- EA06-004 (also written EA06004)
- 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
- Opened March 9, 2006; no closing date on file
- Opened
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
- Components
- Steering; Steering — Steering Wheel/Handle Bar; Steering — Column
- Vehicles and equipment
- Dodge Durango and Dakota
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Engineering Analysis EA06-004.
try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.
ON MARCH 9, 2006 ODI UPGRADED PRELIMINATRY EVALUATION PE05-056 TO ENGINEERNING ANALYSIS EA06-004 TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF LOOSE OR MISSING STEERING SHAFT COUPLING BOLTS AND STEERING COLUMN RETAINING BOLTS IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2004 THROUGH 2006 DODGE DURANGO SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND MY 2005 THROUGH 2006 DODGE DAKOTA PICKUP TRUCKS.EITHER CONDITION COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL.ALTHOUGH ODI IDENTIFIED SOME QUALITY ISSUES IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES FOR THE DAKOTA AND DURANGO VEHICLES, THE DATA DO NOT INDICATE THAT A SAFETY DEFECT TREND IS PRESENT IN EITHER POPULATION.THE FAILURE RATES ARE LOW FOR EACH CONDITION AND TREND ANALYSES INDICATE THAT PROBLEMS WITH THE SUBJECT BOLTS WERE ISOLATED TO A FEW UNITS AFFECTED BY ASSEMBLY ERROR THAT WERE DETECTED EITHER PRE-SALE OR OCCURRED EARLY IN VEHICLE SERVICE.FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES IN THIS MATTER DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR COMPLAINTS AND OTHER INFORMATION RELATING TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE SUGJECT VEHICLES AND WILL TAKE FURHTER ACTION INTHE THE FUTURE IF WARRANTED.FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Engineering Analysis EA06-004. 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.
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.
Dodge VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for EA06-004
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.