NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Engineering Analysis EA08-011: PASSENGER DOOR FIRE

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Engineering Analysis EA08-011 on July 1, 2008, the day it closed Preliminary Evaluation PE08-014, whose summary cites it, and closed it on August 21, 2009. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Mitsubishi Galant and Mitsubishi Caribbean Galant for it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: EA08-011 (also written EA08011)
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 21, 2009
Opened: July 1, 2008
Closed: August 21, 2009
Vehicle or equipment manufacturers: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.; MITSUBISHI CARIBBEAN
Components: Electrical System; Electrical System — Wiring — Fuses and Circuit Breakers; Electrical System — Wiring — Interior/Under Dash; Visibility; Visibility — Power Window Devices and Controls
Vehicles and equipment: Mitsubishi Galant and Mitsubishi Caribbean Galant

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 EA08-011.

try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.

IN RESPONSE TO THIS INVESTIGATION, MITSUBISHI MOTORS NORTH AMERICA (MMNA) INITIATED A SPECIAL PROGRAM ON JULY 31, 2009, TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY COVERAGE ON MODEL YEAR (MY) 2001-2003 GALANT VEHICLE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW SWITCHES TO 10 YEARS OR 120,000 MILES, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST.NOTIFICATION OF THIS SPECIAL COVERAGE PROGRAM TO ALL REGISTERED VEHICLE OWNERS IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN IN LATE-SEPTEMBER 2009.

OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH THE POWER WINDOW SWITCH (BLOWN FUSE, INTERMITTENT OPERATION OR POWER WINDOW MALFUNCTION) OR WHO SPILLED LIQUIDS OR BEVERAGES ONTO THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR WINDOW SWITCH WILL BE ENTITLED TO HAVE THE SWITCH REPLACED AND ANY RELATED REPAIRS PERFORMED AT NO CHARGE.THE AGENCY IS AWARE OF 35 ALLEGED FRONT PASSENGER DOOR PANEL HEAT, SMOKE OR FIRE INCIDENTS, INCLUDING THREE REPORTED MINOR BURNS OR BRUISES.THERE ARE NO REPORTED CRASHES OR FATALITIES.THERE ARE 307 WARRANTY CLAIMS OF SWITCH MALFUNCTIONS OR SHORT CIRCUITS WITHOUT ANY REPORTED HEAT, SMOKE OR FIRE.MMNA INSPECTION AND ANALYSIS OF FIRE-DAMAGED DOOR PANELS/SWITCHES FOUND EVIDENCE OF SPILLED LIQUIDS WITH HIGH SUGAR CONTENT ON THE POWER WINDOW SWITCHES.MMNA CLAIMS THE RESIDUE OF THESE LIQUIDS LED TO A SHORTING/SMOKE/ FIRE CONDITION INSIDE THE SWITCH/DOOR PANEL ASSEMBLY.A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS ISSUE AND RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.SEE DOCUMENT FILE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Engineering Analysis EA08-011. 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.

Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi Galant
- 2001, 2002, 2003

All Mitsubishi recalls

Mitsubishi Caribbean

Mitsubishi Caribbean Galant
- 2001

All Mitsubishi Caribbean 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.

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

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for EA08-011

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.