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NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE89-039: PARKING BRAKE FAILURE

  • Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE89-039 on February 9, 1989 and closed it on June 13, 1989. NHTSA's investigations file lists 10 models from 3 makes for it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number
PE89-039 (also written PE89039)
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 June 13, 1989
Opened
Closed
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
Ford Motor Company
Component
Parking Brake
Vehicles and equipment
10 models from 3 makes, including the Ford Thunderbird and Lincoln Town Car

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 PE89-039.

SUMMARY:THE SPRING UNDER INVESTIGATION CAUSES THE LATCHING PAWL TOENGAGE THE TEETH OF THE RATCHET WHEREBY THE PARKING BRAKE IS RETAINEDIN THE APPLIED POSITION.IF THE SPRING FAILS, THE PEDAL FOLLOWS THEOPERATORS FOOT BACK UP INTO THE RELEASED POSITION.FORD STATES THAT IT ISSUED THE BULLETIN IN ORDER TO INFORM DEALERSTHAT THE SPRING WAS NEWLY AVAILABLE AS A SEPARATE PART.PREVIOUSLY,IT WAS NECESSARY TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE PARKING BRAKE CONTROL ASSEMBLY INORDER TO OBTAIN A NEW SPRING.SINCE THE FAILURE OF THE SPRING WILL NOT CAUSE THE PARKING BRAKE TOSUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY RELEASE AND SINCE THERE IS ADEQUATE WARNINGOF THE FAILURE, NO SAFETY DEFECT TREND WAS FOUND.===

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE89-039. 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 recalls

Lincoln

All Lincoln recalls

Mercury

All Mercury 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 PE89-039

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.