NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE02-055: FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER CONTROL ARM

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE02-055 on July 2, 2002 and closed it on December 20, 2002. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 1995–1996 Hyundai Accent for it and links recall 02V-341 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: PE02-055 (also written PE02055)
Investigation type: Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
Status: Closed December 20, 2002
Opened: July 2, 2002
Closed: December 20, 2002
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Components: Suspension; Suspension — Front — Control Arm; Suspension — Front — Control Arm — Lower Arm
Recall linked by NHTSA: 02V-341: HYUNDAI/FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM CORROSION, reported December 20, 2002
Vehicles and equipment: 1995–1996 Hyundai Accent

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE02-055.

ON DECEMBER 18TH, 2002 HYUNDAI AMERICA TECHNICAL CENTER, INC. (HYUNDAI) SUBMITTED A DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT REGARDING APPROXIMATELY 47,000 1995 AND 1996 HYUNDAI ACCENT VEHICLES REGISTERED IN SALT BELT STATES.ACCORDING TO HYUNDAI, THESE VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER CONTROL ARMS WITH AN INTERIOR PARTITION WALL.THE PARTITION WALL RESTRICTS THE COVERAGE OF PAINT TO THE INTERIOR SURFACES OF THE CONTROL ARM.WHEN OPERATED IN AREAS OF THE COUNTRY THAT USE ROAD SALT FOR DE-ICING, THE LOWER CONTROL ARM CAN CORRODE OVER TIME.THIS CORROSION CAN LEAD TO PERFORATION AND CAN POSSIBLY FRACTURE BETWEEN THE FRONT AND REAR PIVOT POINTS OF THE ARM.SUCH A FRACTURE LIMITS THE FRONT SUSPENSION'S ABILITY TO CONTROL FRONT TO BACK MOVEMENT OF THE WHEEL.UNDER BRAKING, THE FRONT WHEEL CAN CONTACT THE WHEELHOUSE.ALL KNOWN FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED IN SALT BELT STATES.VEHICLES WILL BE INSPECTED FOR LOWER CONTROL ARM CORROSION DAMAGE AND, IF DAMAGED, THE ARMS WILL BE REPLACED.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE02-055. 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.

Hyundai

Hyundai Accent
- 1995, 1996

All Hyundai 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.

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

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for PE02-055

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.