NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE03-021: PASSENGER SIR DOOR MOUNTING STUD FAILURE
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE03-021 on May 23, 2003 and closed it on October 7, 2003, the day it opened Engineering Analysis EA03-020, which this investigation's summary cites. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 1998–2002 Volkswagen Passat for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE03-021 (also written PE03021)
- 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 October 7, 2003
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
- Component
- Air Bags — Frontal
- Vehicles and equipment
- 1998–2002 Volkswagen Passat
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 PE03-021.
try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.
ODI OPENED A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE03-021) BASED ON TWO REPORTS OF FAILED BOLT STUDS THAT ATTACH THE PASSENGER SUPPLEMENTAL INFLATABLE RESTRAINT (PSIR) DOOR COVER TO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL (IP) ON THE VOLKSWAGEN (VW) PASSAT (MODEL YEARS 2000, 2002).
VW HAS INDICATED TO ODI THAT IT HAS NO ADDITIONAL REPORTS.VW IMPLEMENTED A PROCESS CHANGE ON MARCH 1, 2002.
THIS PROCESS CHANGE CONSISTED OF CHANGING THE BOLT APPLICATION THAT FASTENS THE PSIR DOOR TO THE IP FROM A WELD ON APPLICATION TO A PRESS ON APPLICATION.VW ALSO CHANGED THE MATERIAL OF THE BOLT.VW STATED THAT THE CHANGES WERE MADE TO EASE PRODUCTION BY ELIMINATING A WELDING PROCESS.ODI HAS UPGRADED ITS INVESTIGATION TO ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA03-020).
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE03-021. 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.
Volkswagen VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE03-021
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.