NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE11-010: Transmission Intermediate Driveshaft
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE11-010 on April 7, 2011 and closed it on May 10, 2011. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Hyundai Santa FE and Kia Sorento for it and links recalls 11V-258 and 11V-261 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE11-010 (also written PE11010)
- 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 May 10, 2011
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturers
- Hyundai Motor America; Kia America, Inc.
- Components
- Power Train — Automatic Transmission; Power Train — Driveline — Driveshaft
- Recalls linked by NHTSA
- Vehicles and equipment
- Hyundai Santa FE and Kia Sorento
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE11-010.
On April 25, 2011, Kia Motors Corporation submitted a defect notification letter to NHTSA regarding a transmission intermediate driveshaft condition in approximately 12,690 model year (MY) 2011 Kia Sorento 2-wheel drive vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions and 2.4L engines (NHTSA Recall No. 11V-258).
The recall addresses a defect with the external shape of the engine block which can prevent the intermediate shaft bearing bracket from mating evenly with the engine block.
This can cause a misalignment of the intermediate shaft with the right side output gear.
Resulting damage could cause a loss of motive power.
Additionally, on April 27, 2011, Hyundai Motor Company submitted a defect notification (NHTSA Recall No. 11V-261) for the same issue in approximately 6,169 MY 2010 Sante Fe 2-wheel drive vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions and 2.4L engines that use the same components as the recalled Kia Sorento vehicles.
This investigation is closed.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE11-010. 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
Hyundai Santa FE
Kia
Kia Sorento
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.
Free VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE11-010
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.