NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE04-028: ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE04-028 on March 15, 2004 and closed it on June 18, 2004. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2001–2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser for it and links recall 04V-268 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE04-028 (also written PE04028)
- 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 18, 2004
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
- Components
- Steering; Steering — Hydraulic Power Assist System; Steering — Hydraulic Power Assist — Hose, Piping, and Connections; Steering — Hydraulic Power Assist — Power Steering Fluid
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 04V-268: DAIMLERCHRYSLER/POWER STEERING HOSE ASSEMBLY, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2001–2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE04-028.
PE04-028 WAS OPENED TO INVESTIGATE SEVEN COMPLAINTS ALLEGING THAT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT FIRE ON MY 2002 PT CRUISER VEHICLES.ON JUNE 3, 2004, DAIMLERCHRYSLER (DCC) NOTIFIED NHTSA OF A SAFETY DEFECT IN MY 2001-2005 PT CRUISER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH NATURALLY ASPIRATED 2.4L ENGINES AND AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLES (RECALL 04V-268).
THE NOTIFICATION IDENTIFIED VARIATION OF THE HIGH PRESSURE POWER STEERING HOSE ROUTING, WHICH ALLOWED THE HOSE TO CONTACT THE TRANSAXLE DIFFERENTIAL COVER, AS THE FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO THIS DEFECT.CONTACT BETWEEN THE POWER STEERING HOSE AND THE TRANSAXLE DIFFERENTIAL COVER CAN CAUSE HOSE DAMAGE AND POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKAGE, WHICH CAN POTENTIALLY RESULT IN A FIRE. (NOTE: THE FAILURE DATA IN THIS RESUME IS LIMITED TO MY 2001-2003 VEHICLES PER DCC'S PE04-028 INFORMATION RESPONSES.)THIS CONDITION WAS LIMITED TO VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLES AS VEHICLES WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS HAVE SUBSTANTIAL CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE TRANSAXLE DIFFERENTIAL COVER AND THE POWER STEERING HOSE DUE TO A SMALLER TRANSAXLE DESIGN.THIS CONDITION ALSO DOES NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT VEHICLES WITH TURBO ENGINES, WHICH HAVE A DIFFERENT POWER STEERING HOSE ROUTING THAT PROVIDES SUBSTANTIAL CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE TRANSAXLE DIFFERENTIAL COVER AND HOSE.DAIMLERCHRYSLER WILL INSTRUCT OWNERS TO BRING THEIR VEHICLES TO A DEALER TO HAVE THE POWER STEERING HOSE ASSEMBLY INSPECTED AND RELOCATED, OR REPLACED, AS NECESSARY, AND TO CONFIRM THE TORQUE OF THE HOSE FASTENER AT THE STEERING GEAR END.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE04-028. 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.
Chrysler VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE04-028
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.