NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE89-078: UNDERHOOD FIRES
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE89-078 on February 17, 1989 and closed it on September 27, 1989. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Ford E350 and Ashley Ambulance for it and links recall 89V-151 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE89-078 (also written PE89078)
- 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 September 27, 1989
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturers
- Ford Motor Company; ASHLEY EMERGENCY VEHICLES
- Component
- Visibility — Defroster/Defogger/HVAC System
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 89V-151 (NHTSA record)
- Vehicles and equipment
- Ford E350 and Ashley Ambulance
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE89-078. 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.
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 PE89-078
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.