NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE03-052: DRIVER SEAT OVERHEATS/BURNS

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE03-052 on November 19, 2003 and closed it on March 30, 2004, the day it opened Engineering Analysis EA04-010, which this investigation's summary cites. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2002–2003 Volkswagen Jetta for it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: PE03-052 (also written PE03052)
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 March 30, 2004
Opened: November 19, 2003
Closed: March 30, 2004
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Component: Seats — Front Assembly — Seat Heater/Cooler
Vehicles and equipment: 2002–2003 Volkswagen Jetta

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 PE03-052.

THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH OPTIONAL ELECTRICALLY HEATED DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER SEATS.INFORMATION RECEIVED DURING PE03-052 DISCLOSED A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF INCIDENTS OF MALFUNCTIONING/OVERHEATING OF THE DRIVER SEAT HEATER IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.ADDITIONAL INCIDENTS MAY OCCUR DURING THE FINAL MONTHS OF THE WINTER SEASON.THIS MATTER IS ALSO CURRENTLY BEING INVESTIGATED BY TRANSPORT CANADA.THIS PE HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA04-010)IN ORDER TO FULLY INVESTIGATE THESE OCCURRENCES AND THEIR SAFETY IMPLICATIONS.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE03-052. 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.

Volkswagen

Volkswagen Jetta
- 2002, 2003

All Volkswagen 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.

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

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for PE03-052

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.