NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE04-027: POWER-SLIDING DOOR OPENING
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE04-027 on March 15, 2004 and closed it on June 2, 2004. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2004 Nissan Quest for it and links recall 04V-186 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE04-027 (also written PE04027)
- 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 2, 2004
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Nissan North America, Inc.
- Components
- Latches/Locks/Linkages — Doors — Latch; Structure — Body — Door
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 04V-186: NISSAN/POWER SLIDING DOORS, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2004 Nissan Quest
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE04-027.
IN JANUARY 2004, NISSAN RECEIVED REPORTS OF POWER SLIDING DOORS COMING OPEN WHILE DRIVING.NISSAN DETERMINED THAT AT TEMPERATURES BELOW 40 DEGREE F, AN OUT-OF-SPEC DOOR ACTUATOR COULD BIND AND PREVENT THE DOOR LATCHES FROM FULLY ENGAGING.THIS CAN LEAD TO THE DOOR COMING OPEN UNEXPECTEDLY.NISSAN NOTIFIED NHTSA BY LETTER DATED APRIL 1, 2004, THAT IT IS CONDUCTING A SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN (NHTSA NO. 04V186) ON MY 2004 NISSAN QUEST VEHICLES WITH POWER-SLIDING DOORS PRODUCED FROM MARCH 26, 2003 TO DECEMBER 17, 2003.
NISSAN MODIFIED THE ACUTATOR DOOR MOTOR ON VEHICLES BUILT AFTER DECEMBER 17, 2003 FOR REASONS NOT RELATED TO THE INADVERTENT DOOR OPENING ISSUE.NISSAN REPORTS THAT VEHICLES BUILT AFTER DECEMBER 17, 2003 ARE NOT SUBJECT TO THE FAILURE MODE THAT CAUSES INADVERTENT OPENING.ODI'S REVIEW OF THE ODI OWNER REPORTS WITH KNOWN BUILD DATES (7 OF 9 REPORTS, PLUS ONE REPORT RECEIVED PRIOR TO DEC 17 BUT WITH UNKNOWN BUILD DATE) INDICATES THAT COMPLAINT VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED BEFORE THE DOOR ACTUATOR IMPROVEMENT DATE (DEC 17).
ALSO, NISSAN REPORTS NO COMPLAINT VEHICLES WITH BUILD DATES AFTER DECEMBER 17.
NISSAN'S ACTION ADDRESSES THE CONCERNS OF ODI.THEREFORE, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE04-027. 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.
Nissan
Nissan Quest
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.
Nissan VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE04-027
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.