NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE03-047: FUEL TANK SENDING UNIT SEAL LEAK

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE03-047 on October 14, 2003 and closed it on December 24, 2003. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2003 Mazda MAZDA6 for it and links recall 03V-531 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: PE03-047 (also written PE03047)
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 24, 2003
Opened: October 14, 2003
Closed: December 24, 2003
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer: Mazda Motor Corp.
Components: Fuel System, Gasoline — Delivery — Fuel Pump; Fuel System, Gasoline — Storage — Tank Assembly
Recall linked by NHTSA: 03V-531: MAZDA/FUEL SENDER UNIT, reported December 16, 2003
Vehicles and equipment: 2003 Mazda MAZDA6

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE03-047.

IN SOME OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, THE FSU LOCK RING SEAL MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IMPROPERLY.THE FUEL TANK MAY BE ASSEMBLED WITH INSUFFICIENT COMPRESSION ON THE FSU LOCK RING SEAL DUE TO CROSS-THREADING THE LOCK RING, THE SEAL MAY BE OUT OF POSITION AT THE TIME OF INSTALLATION,OR THE FUEL TANK MAY BE ASSEMBLED WITH INSUFFICIENT COMPRESSION ON THE SEAL DUE TO DISTORTION OF THE TANK SHELL.EACH OF THESE CONDITIONS MAY RESULT IN FUEL LEAKAGE AND IN THE PRESENCE OF A SOURCE OF IGNITION, A VEHICLE FIRE COULD POTENTIALLY OCCUR.MAZDA WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN TO CORRECT FSU SEAL INSTALLATION PROBLEMS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.MAZDA DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK AND, IF NECESSARY, REPAIR OR REPLACE THE FSU LOCK RING, FSU LOCK RING SEAL, OR TANK.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE03-047. 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.

Mazda

Mazda MAZDA6
- 2003

All Mazda 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.

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

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for PE03-047

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.