NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE03-003: FUEL TANK LEAKS
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE03-003 on January 16, 2003 and closed it on June 11, 2003. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Volvo 850 and 854 for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE03-003 (also written PE03003)
- 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 June 11, 2003
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Volvo Car USA, LLC
- Component
- Fuel System, Gasoline — Storage — Tank Assembly
- Vehicles and equipment
- Volvo 850 and 854
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 Preliminary Evaluation PE03-003.
THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION OPENED THISINVESTIGATION ON JANUARY 16, 2003.
THE BASIS FOR OPENING THE INVESTIGATION WAS 15 CONSUMER REPORTS ALLEGING GASOLINE LEAKING FROM THE FUEL STORAGE TANK.VOLVO PROVIDED 43 ADDITIONAL REPORTS IN ITS RESPONSE TO THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION, 4 OF WHICH WERE DUPLICATES OF THE 15 ODI REPORTS. THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED FOR FURTHER STUDY.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE03-003. 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.
Volvo VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE03-003
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.