NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Engineering Analysis EA91-011: SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE

  • Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Engineering Analysis EA91-011 on December 18, 1990 and closed it on August 13, 1992. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 1989–1990 Ford Taurus for it and links recall 92V-113 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number
EA91-011 (also written EA91011)
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 13, 1992
Opened
Closed
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
Ford Motor Company
Component
Seat Belts — Front — Buckle Assembly
Recall linked by NHTSA
Vehicles and equipment
1989–1990 Ford Taurus

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Engineering Analysis EA91-011. 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.

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.

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

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for EA91-011

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.