NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE08-012: FRONT AIR BAG CRASH SENSOR FAILURE

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE08-012 on February 15, 2008 and closed it on April 24, 2008. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2003–2004 Volkswagen Beetle for it and links recall 08V-178 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: PE08-012 (also written PE08012)
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 24, 2008
Opened: February 15, 2008
Closed: April 24, 2008
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Component: Air Bags — Frontal — Sensor/Control Module-Inactive
Recall linked by NHTSA: 08V-178: AIR BAG FRONTAL CRASH SENSOR FAILURE (DUAL-STAGE), reported April 17, 2008
Vehicles and equipment: 2003–2004 Volkswagen Beetle

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE08-012.

CERTAIN SUBJECT VEHICLES, MODEL YEAR (MY) 2003 CONVERTIBLE AND MY 2004 SEDAN AND CONVERTIBLE VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH AN ADVANCED DUAL-STAGE AIR BAG SYSTEM.THE AIR BAG CRASH SENSORS (#1F0 909 606) CONTAIN A SOLDER JOINT ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD THAT MAY CRACK UNDER CERTAIN HIGH TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS.IF THIS OCCURS, THE AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE AND THE CONTROL MODULE WILL ENABLE A FALLBACK ALGORITHM THAT WILL ENSURE THAT THE FRONT AIR BAG ALWAYS DEPLOYS IN A FRONTAL CRASH IN WHICH THE VEHICLE'S DECELERATION IS HIGH ENOUGH TO ACTIVATE THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS.HOWEVER, IN LOW-SEVERITY FRONTAL IMPACTS, THE FRONT AIR BAGS MAY DEPLOY MORE FORCEFULLY THAN DESIGNED, INCREASING THE POSSIBILITY OF INJURY TO OUT-OF-POSITION FRONT SEAT OCCUPANTS.VOLKSWAGEN WILL INSPECT FOR THE DEFECTIVE CRASH SENSOR AND REPLACE WITH AN UPDATED DESIGN.IN ADDITION, 16,177 EARLY-MY 2005 NEW BEETLE SEDAN AND CONVERTIBLE VEHICLES (BUILT THROUGH OCT 31, 2004) ARE ALSO INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN.THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION IS CLOSED (SEE RECALL 08V-178)

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE08-012. 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.

Volkswagen

Volkswagen Beetle
- 2003, 2004

All Volkswagen 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.

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

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for PE08-012

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.