NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE08-006: IGNITION-PARK INTERLOCK SYSTEM
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE08-006 on January 29, 2008 and closed it on April 14, 2008. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2004–2008 Mitsubishi Endeavor for it and links recalls 08V-139 and 08V-276 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE08-006 (also written PE08006)
- 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 April 14, 2008
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.
- Components
- Electrical System — Ignition — Switch; Power Train — Manual Transmission — Floor Shift Assembly
- Recalls linked by NHTSA
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2004–2008 Mitsubishi Endeavor
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE08-006.
THE SUBJECT VEHICLE IGNITION-PARK INTERLOCK AND SHIFT LOCK (BRAKE-SHIFT INTERLOCK) SYSTEMS ARE MECHANICALLY ACTUATED.THE SYSTEMS UTILIZE TWO CABLE ASSEMBLIES THAT CONNECT TO A PLASTIC HOUSING MOUNTED TO THE SHIFT LEVER MECHANISM.WITHIN THE HOUSING IS A LEVER (INTERLOCK LEVER) THAT THE IGNITION-PARK INTERLOCK CABLE CONNECTS TO.WHEN THE INTERLOCK LEVER IS POSITIONED IN ITS REARWARD TRAVEL RANGE, THE IGNITION KEY REMOVAL IS PREVENTED; WHEN THE LEVER IS POSITIONED IN ITS FORWARD POSITION, KEY REMOVAL IS ALLOWED.ACCORDING TO MITSUBISHI, THE IGNITION KEY INTERLOCK CABLE MAY ALLOW THE INTERLOCK LEVER TO FALL FORWARD DURING VEHICLE USE.IN THIS STATE THE IGNITION KEY CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH WHEN THE GEARSHIFT MECHANISM IS NOT IN THE PARK POSITION.IF THE DRIVER DOES NOT SHIFT TO PARK BEFORE REMOVING THE KEY AND FAILS TO ENGAGE THE PARKING BRAKE, THE VEHICLE COULD ROLL AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR.MOST OF THE REPORTED CRASH INCIDENTS WERE MINOR IN NATURE INVOLVING UNOCCUPIED VEHICLES ROLLING FROM A PARKED CONDITION AND STRIKING OTHER VEHICLES OR OBJECTS.THE SINGLE INJURY INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN THE OPERATOR PARKED THE VEHICLE, EXITED, AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY STRUCK BY THE VEHICLE AS IT ROLLED AWAY.THE TYPE AND SEVERITY OF THE INJURIES WERE NOT DESCRIBED.IN A LETTER DATED MARCH 21, 2008, MITSUBISHI ADVISED NHTSA THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL TO ADDRESS THIS CONDITION (SEE WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV, RECALL ACTION 08V-139 FOR FURTHER DETAILS); REMEDY DETAILS AND TIMING ARE TO BE DETERMINED.ACCORDINGLY THE INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE08-006. 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.
Mitsubishi VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE08-006
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.