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NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Engineering Analysis EA07-001: FAN BLADE CRACKING/SEPARATION

  • Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Engineering Analysis EA07-001 on January 22, 2007, the day it closed Preliminary Evaluation PE06-042, whose summary cites it, and closed it on April 16, 2007. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2002 Kia Sportage for it and links recall 07V-161 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number
EA07-001 (also written EA07001)
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 April 16, 2007
Opened
Closed
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
Kia America, Inc.
Component
Engine and Engine Cooling — Cooling System — Fan
Recall linked by NHTSA
  • 07V-161: ENGINE COOLING FAN BLADE, reported
Vehicles and equipment
2002 Kia Sportage

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Engineering Analysis EA07-001.

KIA MOTORS AMERICA, INC. (KIA) HAS IDENTIFIED A DEFECT IN THE PLASTIC ENGINE COOLING FAN IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AND WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL.KIA'S DEFECT REPORT STATES, ...HEAT GENERATED BY THE ENGINE CAUSES REPEATED BENDING DEFORMATION OF THE POLYPROPYLENE COOLING FAN...INITIATING CRACKS IN THE FAN.THE CENTRIFUGAL FORCES GENERATED BY THE ROTATION OF THE BLADES CAN CAUSE THE CRACKS TO PROPAGATE UNTIL COMPLETE SEPARATION OCCURS...KIA ESTIMATES APPROXIMATELY 35,090 VEHICLES WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE RECALL, AS SOME OF THE 46,887 VEHICLES PRODUCED HAVE ALREADY HAD THE FAN REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY.KIA DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ORIGINAL VERSION OF THE FAN WITH A FAN MADE OF IMPROVED MATERIAL.THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED ON SEPTEMBER 21, 2006 AS PE06-042 AND UPGRADED TO ENGINEERING ANALYSIS EA07-001 ON JANUARY 22, 2007.

PLEASE SEE NHTSA RECALL 07V161 FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Engineering Analysis EA07-001. 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.

Kia

All Kia 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.

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

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for EA07-001

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.