NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE87-016: STEERING SYST. FAILURES
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE87-016 on January 15, 1987 and closed it on August 6, 1987. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Ford Tempo and Mercury Topaz for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE87-016 (also written PE87016)
- 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 August 6, 1987
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Ford Motor Company
- Component
- Steering
- Vehicles and equipment
- Ford Tempo and Mercury Topaz
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 PE87-016.
ANALYSIS:THIS PE WAS INITIATED BASED ON RECEIPT OF CONSUMER REPORTS OFPOWER STEERING FAILURES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THIS ISSUE WAS ORIGINALLYREVIEWED UNDER PE86-006, WHICH WAS CLOSED AFTER NO DEFECT TREND WAS IDENTI-FIED.THIS PE WAS OPENED TO REASSESS THE MAGNITUDE OF THE ALLEGED PROBLEM.IN RESPONSE TO NHTSA'S REQUEST FOR INFORMATION, FORD REPORTED THE FAILURE(COMPLAINT), ACCIDENT, AND INJURY STATISTICS CITED ABOVE.INCLUDED INTHESE DATA ARE 8 CASES INVOLVING ACCIDENT OR SUBROGATION CLAIMS, AND 7LAWSUITS THAT CITE POWER STEERING PROBLEMS AS THE BASIS FOR THE PLAINTIFF'SCASE AGAINST FORD.IN ADDITION, FORD REPORTED HAVING INITIATED ONLY ONEENGINEERING DESIGN MODIFICATION IN MAY 1983 WHICH RELATES TO THE POTENTIALFOR MALFUNCTION OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP.WARRANTY CLAIM DATA RELATINGTO THIS MATTER FAILED TO EITHER ESTABLISH OR SUBSTANTIATE THE EXISTENCE OFA DEFECT TREND.PROPOSED ACTION:CLOSE THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION.===
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE87-016. 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
Ford Tempo
Mercury
Mercury Topaz
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 PE87-016
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.