NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Engineering Analysis EA12-001: Inadvertent Air Bag Deployment
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Engineering Analysis EA12-001 on January 23, 2012 and closed it on February 21, 2013. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2002–2003 Jeep Liberty for it and links 3 recalls to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- EA12-001 (also written EA12001)
- 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 February 21, 2013
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
- Components
- Air Bags; Air Bags — Frontal; Air Bags — Frontal — Driver Side — Inflator Module; Air Bags — Frontal — Sensor/Control Module-Inactive
- Recalls linked by NHTSA
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2002–2003 Jeep Liberty
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Engineering Analysis EA12-001.
The investigation was opened based on reports of frontal air bag inadvertent deployments (ABIDs) on model year (MY) 2002-2003 Jeep Liberty vehicles.
Data provided by Chrysler indicate that the air bag squib filter circuitry inside the Occupant Restraint Control (ORC) module can degrade and result in an inadvertent air bag deployment, without a crash or impact, while the vehicle is being operated on the roadway.
As of Oct. 04, 2012, ODI is aware of 131 frontal ABIDs on the Jeep Liberty vehicles resulting in 62 injuries consisting of burns, cuts and bruises to the upper body region.
There were no reports of loss of vehicle control or vehicle crashes.
Some owners noted that the air bag warning light (ABL) and/or chime had activated just seconds prior to the air bag deployment, while others stated that they did not observe any prior ABL illumination.
Chrysler's analysis found there were no reports of ABID on Liberty vehicles build after March 28, 2003, a date which coincides with a filter circuit design change in the ORC module.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Viper were identified as having the same basic circuit.
ODI is aware of 61 frontal ABIDs with 31 injuries on the Grand Cherokee and none on the Dodge Viper.
In its Nov. 07, 2012 letter (12V-527), Chrysler announced plans to recall 744,822 Jeep Vehicles (MY02-03 Liberty through 03/28/03 and MY02-04 Grand Cherokee through 5/23/03).
The remedy consists of installing an in-line jumper harness with an integrated squib circuit electrical filter.
In addition, in Feb 05, 2013 letter (13V-040), Chrysler added the MY03-04 Dodge Viper (through 6/30/04) with a similar remedy, bringing the total number of recalled vehicles to 748,482.
During the investigation ODI contacted the ORC module supplier (TRW) to determine the usage of this circuitry in other manufacturers? vehicles.
As a result, ODI sent peer Information Request (IR) letters to five other manufactures.
Toyota's response identified 72 frontal ABIDs resulting in 31 injuries.
The rate and failure mode/trend were consistent with the subject defective issue as reported by Chrysler.
In a Jan. 30, 2013 letter (13V-029), Toyota announced plans to recall 897,709 MY2003-2004 Corolla/Matrix and Pontiac Vibe vehicles and will utilize a similar remedy to that of Chrysler consisting of adding an in-line noise filter to its air bag wire harness.
Honda's IR response reported 126 unique ABIDs for both frontal, side impact and/or side curtain air bag deployments across 4 models and 800k vehicles.
However upon further review, no more than 25 of the reports appeared to be frontal ABIDs.
The remaining involved less aggressive non-frontal ABIDs mainly stemming from side sensors that trigger side and/or side curtain air bags upon undercarriage debris strike or heavy door slams.
The Honda rates are lower than those from the recalled Liberty and Toyota models, and with the exception of the MY 2002-2003 Odyssey, the other Honda models' failure mode/trend was also less severe.
ODI will continueto monitor the affected Honda models.
There were no reports of ABIDs from the other three peer manufacturers.
It should be noted that since the October 2012 data collection date, ODI has received 4 additional Jeep Liberty and 2 Jeep Grand Cherokee reports for frontal ABIDs with two reports alleging loss of vehicle control and crashes. To date, the ORC modules from the two crash vehicles have not been available for detailed analysis by Chrysler or ODI, so the cause of the ABIDs cannot be confirmed at this time.
Accordingly the investigation is closed.
The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAI
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Engineering Analysis EA12-001. 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.
Jeep
All Jeep recallsWhat 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 EA12-001
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.