NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE87-031: SEPARATED STRNG KNUCKLE
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE87-031 on May 13, 1987 and closed it on August 5, 1987. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 1987 Pontiac Sunbird for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE87-031 (also written PE87031)
- 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 5, 1987
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- General Motors, LLC
- Component
- Steering
- Vehicles and equipment
- 1987 Pontiac Sunbird
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 PE87-031.
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER: GENERAL MOTORS HAS SUBMITED ONE FIELD REPORT PERTAINING TO A CUSTOMER OWNED VEHICLE WITH PROBLEM.ANALYSIS: INSPECTION BY ODI ENGINEER REVEALED A MISSING NUT AND COTTER PIN WHICH HOLDSTHE TIE ROD END TO THE STEERING KNUCKLE. THE HEX NUT APPARENTLY HAD NEVER BEEN INSTALLED. OWNER HAD DRIVEN VEHICLE ONE DAY (LESS THAN 50 MILES) SINCE TAKING DELIVERY. G.M.'S ONE FIELD REPORT STATED THAT THE TIE ROD CAME APART DURING TEST DRIVE AND THE TIE ROD NUT WAS ALSO MISSING. IT WOULD APPEAR THESE ARE TWO ISOLATED INCIDENTS.PROPOSED ACTION: CLOSE THISPRELIMINARY EVALUATION.===
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE87-031. 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.
Pontiac
Pontiac Sunbird
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 PE87-031
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.