NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE05-050: FUEL TANK PUNCTURES FROM ROAD DEBRIS

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE05-050 on September 13, 2005 and closed it on January 31, 2006. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2003–2006 Nissan Murano for it and links recall 06V-003 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: PE05-050 (also written PE05050)
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 January 31, 2006
Opened: September 13, 2005
Closed: January 31, 2006
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Components: Fuel System, Gasoline — Storage — Tank Assembly; Fuel System, Other — Storage — Tank Assembly
Recall linked by NHTSA: 06V-003: FUEL TANK, reported January 10, 2006
Vehicles and equipment: 2003–2006 Nissan Murano

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE05-050.

ODI OPENED A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION BASED ON FOUR VEHICLE OWNER QUESTIONNAIRES (VOQ'S) INDICATING THAT THE FUEL TANKS WEREPUNCTURED BY ROAD DEBRIS UNDER NORMAL, NON OFF-ROAD DRIVING CONDITIONS.AS OF NOVEMBER 30, 2005, THE COMPLAINT TOTAL INCREASED TO 12.

NISSAN SUPPLIED ODI WITH 31 COMPLAINTS OF FUEL TANK PUNCTURES, INCLUDING 26 NOT PREVIOUSLY KNOWN TO ODI FROM THE VOQ RECORDS. IN A LETTER DATED JANUARY 9, 2006, NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. NOTIFIED ODI OF ITS PLAN TO RECALL APPROXIMATELY 209,000 MODEL YEAR 2003 - 2006 NISSAN MURANO VEHICLES BUILT FROM APRIL 24, 2002 (START OF PRODUCTION OF MY 2003) THROUGH NOVEMBER 24, 2005 (INCLUDING A PORTION OF MY 2006 VEHICLES) TO CORRECT A DEFICIENCY IN FUEL TANK SHIELDING FROM ROAD DEBRIS.THIS RECALL HAS BEEN DESIGNATED NHTSA NO. 06V-003.

RECALLED VEHICLES WILL BE FITTED WITH PROTECTIVE SHIELDING FOR THE FRONTAL PORTION OF THE FUEL TANK TO REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF PUNCTURE BY PROJECTILES FROM THE FRONT WHEELS.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN CLOSED.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE05-050. 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 Murano
- 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006

All Nissan 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.

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

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for PE05-050

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.