NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE08-044: ENGINE STALLING - FUEL PUMP FAILURE
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE08-044 on July 17, 2008 and closed it on September 3, 2008. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2007–2008 Hyundai Elantra for it and links recall 08V-429 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE08-044 (also written PE08044)
- 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 September 3, 2008
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Hyundai Motor America
- Components
- Fuel System, Gasoline; Fuel System, Gasoline — Delivery — Fuel Pump
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 08V-429: FUEL PUMP MOTOR, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2007–2008 Hyundai Elantra
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE08-044.
ON AUGUST 19, 2008, HYUNDAI SUBMITTED A DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT TO NHTSA CONCERNING FUEL PUMP FAILURE RESULTING IN ENGINE STALL IN APPROXIMATELY 65,000 MODEL YEAR 2008 HYUNDAI ELANTRA VEHICLES WITH 2.0 LITER BETA ENGINES PRODUCED FROM NOVEMBER 5, 2007, THROUGH JUNE 28, 2008 (NHTSA RECALL NO. 08V-429, HYUNDAI CAMPAIGN 086).
THE RECALLED VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH FUEL PUMPS MANUFACTURED WITH UPPER BODY COMPONENTS FROM A DIFFERENT SUPPLIER THAN THOSE MANUFACTURED PRIOR TO NOVEMBER 5, 2007.
ACCORDING TO HYUNDAI, THE NEW SUPPLIER'S UPPER BODY COMPONENTS HAD INCORRECT DIMENSIONAL CHARACTERISTICS RESULTING IN MISALIGNMENT OF THE ARMATURE SHAFT, WHICH CAUSED SOME OF THE FUEL PUMPS TO EXPERIENCE POOR BRUSH-TO-COMMENTATOR CONTACT CONDITIONS THAT COULD RESULT IN ENGINE STALL. THE USE OF ETHANOL BLEND FUEL, CONTAINING UP TO 10 PERCENT ETHANOL, CAUSES A FILM BUILD-UP THAT CREATES HIGH RESISTANCE BETWEEN THE BRUSH AND COMMUTATOR.THE MISALIGNED ARMATURE SHAFT PREVENTS THE BRUSH AND COMMUTATOR FROM MAKING SUFFICIENT CONTACT TO OVERCOME THE HIGH RESISTANCE FILM BUILD-UP, THEREFORE PRODUCING LESS PUMPING PRESSURE THAN REQUIRED TO SUPPLY THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. SIXTY-FOUR OF THE COMPLAINTS (72%), INCLUDING THE CRASH AND INJURY ALLEGATION, INVOLVE THE RECALLED VEHICLES.THE COMPLAINT RATE IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLE POPULATION IS 98.5 PER 100,000 VEHICLES, COMPARED WITH 21.4 IN THE REMAINING POPULATION, WHICH HAS ON AVERAGE BEEN IN SERVICE OVER A YEAR LONGER.THE WARRANTY CLAIM RATE IS ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN THE RECALLED VEHICLES, WHICH HAD 569 CLAIMS (0.9 PERCENT CLAIM RATE) COMPARED WITH 126 CLAIMS IN THE REMAINING POPULATION (0.1 PERCENT CLAIM RATE). HYUNDAI WILL REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP SUBASSEMBLIES IN THE RECALLED VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE.THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION IS CLOSED WITH HYUNDAI'S RECALL.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE08-044. 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.
Hyundai
All Hyundai recallsWhat 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.
Hyundai VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE08-044
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.