NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE13-015: Door Latch Failures Due to Loose Screws
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE13-015 on May 9, 2013 and closed it on September 30, 2013. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2009 Mazda MAZDA6 for it and links recall 13V-425 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE13-015 (also written PE13015)
- 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 30, 2013
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Mazda Motor Corp.
- Components
- Latches/Locks/Linkages; Latches/Locks/Linkages — Doors — Latch
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 13V-425: Door Latch Mounting Screws may Loosen, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2009 Mazda MAZDA6
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE13-015.
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on reports that the doors were failing to properly latch on model year (MY) 2009 Mazda6 vehicles.
Complainants alleged that the door would fail to latch, or would not properly latch. ODI received a total of 9 complaints alleging this condition primarily on the front side doors, however any of the four side doors could be affected.
In response to ODI's Information Request, Mazda provided 56 consumer complaints related to the alleged problem, and 329 warranty claims.
On September 23, 2013, Mazda notified ODI that it would conduct a safety recall on model year 2009-2013 Mazda6 vehicles built from February 4, 2008 through August 24, 2012. This period covers the start of production of the MY 2009 Mazda6 through the end of production for the 2013 model year and totals a population of approximately 161,400 vehicles. Mazda determined that the door latch mounting screws may become loose due to lack of torque during manufacturing and/or unevenness of the door shell in the latch mounting area. If all three door latch mounting screws become loose, the door latch mechanism may not engage, potentially resulting in the doors opening while the vehicle is in motion.
To remedy the condition, a thread locking adhesive will be applied to the latch screws on all side doors, and the screws will be tightened to the specified torque.
This investigation is closed on the basis of Mazda's announcement of safety recall 13V-425.
ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification (ODI) numbers: 10406174, 10448036, 10492403, 10503682, 10508051, 10515258, 10521830, 10535228, 10544489.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE13-015. 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.
Mazda
Mazda MAZDA6
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.
Mazda VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE13-015
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.