NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE13-031: Electric powertrain propulsion failure
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE13-031 on September 6, 2013 and closed it on November 15, 2013. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2012–2014 Ford Focus Electric for it and links recall 13V-523 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE13-031 (also written PE13031)
- 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 November 15, 2013
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Ford Motor Company
- Component
- Electrical System — Propulsion System — Traction Battery
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 13V-523: Sudden Loss of Motive Power, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2012–2014 Ford Focus Electric
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE13-031.
In an October 28, 2013 letter to NHTSA, Ford Motor Company (Ford) submitted a recall notice identifying a defect in the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software in approximately 2,456 model year (MY) 2012 through 2014 Ford Focus Electric vehicles manufactured from September 15, 2011 through August 23, 2013 (Recall No. 13V-523).
According to Ford, PCM software faults may cause a complete loss of powertrain torque.
When this condition occurs, drivers receive a red triangle indicator and the message Stop Safely Now in the instrument cluster.
In addition, vehicle brake and steering systems will continue to operate normally and the vehicle can be restarted after going through a shutdown process.
Ford and its supplier, Magna Powertrain, upgraded the PCM software to address powertrain shutdown conditions and issued a technical service bulletin on September 23, 2013 instructing dealers to reprogram the PCM on all affected vehicles. The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) analyzed complaint data provided by Ford as well as complaints submitted to ODI from consumers. In total, there were 171 unique reports indicating loss of motive power while driving, and the predominant failure mode identified involved loss of powertrain torque.
Ford began owner notification on November 5, 2012.
Owners of the recalled vehicles are notified to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer who will reprogram the PCM to the latest calibration. See the investigative public file for copies of Ford's bulletin and owner letter.
This preliminary evaluation is closed.
The ODI reports cited above can be viewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification numbers (ODI Nos.): 10536160,10534988,10534323,10531894,10525393,10525187,10523536,10521207,10516270,10512459,10512146,10509307,10543015,10542983,10542840,10542753,10538223,10537801,10537111,10537048,10536894,10536592,10536538,10536510,10526350,10524026,10522585,10521986,10521459,10519446,10545282.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE13-031. 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.
Ford
All Ford 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.
Ford VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE13-031
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.