NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE87-013: LOSS OF POWER BRK ASSIST

  • Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE87-013 on January 6, 1987 and closed it on October 1, 1987. NHTSA's investigations file lists 3 models from 3 makes for it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number
PE87-013 (also written PE87013)
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 October 1, 1987
Opened
Closed
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Component
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Vehicles and equipment
3 models from 3 makes, including the Chrysler Chrysler and Dodge Dodge Truck

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 PE87-013.

SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURE:CHRYSLER RECALLED, IN CANADA,67,602 1984 THROUGH 1987 PASSENGER CARS, TRUCKS, AND VANS EQUIPPED WITH THE5.2L ENGINE FOR INTERMITTENT LOSS OF THE BRAKE POWER ASSIST ON THE SECONDAPPLICATION OF THE BRAKE PEDAL.THE DEFECT WAS A RESULT OF THE BRAKEBOOSTER VACUUM HOSE PORT IN THE BASE OF THE CARBURETOR BEING BLOCKED WITHFROZEN MOISTURE AFTER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF HIGHWAY DRIVING AT LOW AMBIENTTEMPERATURES.TO PREVENT THIS DEFECT FROM OCCURRING, THE VACUUM SOURCE FORTHE BRAKE BOOSTER WAS RELOCATED FROM THE BASE OF THE CARBURETOR TO THEINTAKE MANIFOLD.IT WAS STATED THAT REPORTS OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT HAVEOCCURRED IN THE NORTHERN AREAS OF CANADA, AND THAT CHRYSLER WAS AWARE OF NOSIMILAR REPORTS IN THE UNITED STATES.ANALYSIS:A REVIEW OF THE MANUFACTURER'S DATA INDICATED AT LEAST 4 SIMILARU.S. VEHICLES HAVE EXPERIENCED FAILURES CONSISTENT WITH THOSE REPORTED INTHE CANADIAN MARKET.ONE VEHICLE WAS A MANUFACTURER TEST VEHICLE.THESTATES IN WHICH THESE REPORTED FAILURES OCCURRED ARE ALASKA, WISCONSIN,AND MINNESOTA (2).

PROPOSED ACTION: CLOSE THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION AND OPEN AN ENGINEERINGANALYSIS.===

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE87-013. 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

All Chrysler recalls

Dodge

  • Dodge (model not given)

    • 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987
  • Dodge Dodge Truck

All Dodge recalls

Plymouth

  • Plymouth (model not given)

    • 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987
  • Plymouth Truck

    • 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987
All Plymouth recalls

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 PE87-013

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.