NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE20-012: Interior Vehicle Fire
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE20-012 on August 6, 2020 and closed it on April 4, 2022. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2014 Chrysler Town And Country for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE20-012 (also written PE20012)
- 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 4, 2022
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
- Components
- Electrical System; Electrical System — Instrument Cluster/Panel
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2014 Chrysler Town And Country
A recall appears here only when NHTSA's investigations file links one to the investigation; NHTSA's summary or record can name others.
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE20-012.
On August 6th, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE20-012) to investigate alleged thermal events, and/or vehicle fires originating at the charge hub in 2014 Chrysler Town and Country minivans manufactured by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). While the investigation was focused on the 2014 Chrysler Town and Country vehicles, the scope of the investigation was expanded to include the 2013-2020 Chrysler Town and Country, and Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles (the RT Platform).
During the investigation ODI sent two separate Information Request letters to the manufacturer. One on August 17th, 2020 and one on March 31st, 2021.
ODI identified a subject 2014 Chrysler Town and Country van on a vehicle salvage website that appeared to have experienced a thermal event where the charge hub is located. With the help of the NHTSA's Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC), ODI purchased the vehicle from the salvage company to inspect the damage and determine if more information about the failure could be obtained. A joint inspection with the manufacturer was conducted. Following this comprehensive inspection, a cause of the fire could not be determined.
FCA initiated a parts collection initiative to obtain parts from the field for testing. The test results from the FCA field parts collection were inconclusive as they could not identify a common cause for the alleged thermal events. FCA looked at multiple liquid solutions that could have entered the charge hub circuit and caused it to short out, potentially leading to a fire. FCA also performed testing where the charge hub circuit was shorted out using a wire to observe if a flame or fire was produced. FCA provided their assessment to ODI concluding that none of the testing methods performed lead to a flame or fire being propagated.
Given the low rate of thermal incidents at the subject vehicle charge hub, no reports of serious injury, zero reports of crash or death, and a lack of common failure mode, this investigation is closed.
The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE20-012. 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.
Chrysler
Chrysler Town And Country
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.
Chrysler VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE20-012
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.