NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE05-046: FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE MALFUNCTION
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE05-046 on August 26, 2005 and closed it on December 27, 2005, the day it opened Engineering Analysis EA05-022, which this investigation's summary cites. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2002 Jeep Liberty for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE05-046 (also written PE05046)
- 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 27, 2005
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
- Component
- Seat Belts — Front — Buckle Assembly
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2002 Jeep Liberty
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 PE05-046.
THIS INVESTIGATION OF FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WAS OPENED ON AUGUST 26, 2005.
THE BASIS FOR OPENING WAS SEVEN ODI REPORTS ALLEGING THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY.THE COMPLAINANTS ALLEGED THE BUCKLES WOULD NOT LATCH OR WERE DIFFICULT TO LATCH OR UNLATCH.SOME OF THE COMPLAINANTS ALLEGED SOMETHING WAS BROKEN INSIDE OF THE BUCKLE AND OTHERS ALLEGED THAT THE BUTTON WAS STUCK DOWN AND HAD TO BE PRIED UP IN ORDER TO LATCH THE BUCKLE.THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO EA05-022
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE05-046. 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.
Jeep
Jeep Liberty
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.
Jeep VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE05-046
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.