NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE96-016: WHEEL LOCKUP WITH ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE96-016 on February 28, 1996 and closed it on July 24, 1996. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 1993–1994 Ford Explorer for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE96-016 (also written PE96016)
- 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 July 24, 1996
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Ford Motor Company
- Component
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
- Vehicles and equipment
- 1993–1994 Ford Explorer
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 PE96-016.
ODI HAS RECEIVED OND HUNDRED SEVENTY-THREE (173) CONSUMER COMPLAINTS OF ALLEGED FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM ON CERTAIN 1993 AND 1994 FORD EXPLORERS.THESE ALLEGED FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS ARE REPORTED TO HAVE CAUSED THIRTY-SIX (36) ACCIDENTS RESULTING FROM VEHICLE LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING BRAKING OR FROM THE EXTENDED DISTANCE REQUIRED TO STOP THE VEHICLE DURING BRAKING.THE COMPLAINANTS REPORT THAT THE ALLEGED FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS OCCURRED DURING BRAKING MOSTLY ON WET OR SLIPPERY ROADS, BUT ALSO HAVE OCCURRED ON DRY ROADS.SINCE ODI OPENED THIS PE BASED ON WHEEL LOCKUP COMPLAINTS, WE HAVE RECEIVED NUMEROUS ADDITIONAL COMPLAINTS AB OUT THE EXTENDED DISTANCE REQUIRED TO STOP THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHEN BRAKING UNDER CERTAIN ROAD AND SPEED CONDITIONS.IN RESPONSE TO ODI'S INFORMATION REQUEST (IR) CONCERNING WHEEL LOCKUP COMPLAINTS ONT HE SUBJECT VEHICLES, FORD REPORTED RECEIVING 416 REPORTS (FIELD REPORTS, OWNER COMPLAINTS, AND SUBROGATION CLAIMS) OF WHEEEL LOCKUP ON 1993 AND 1994 FORD EXPLORERS, WITH 24 ALLEGED ACCIDENTS.IN ADDITION, FORD REPORTED RECEIVING 24,916 WARRANTY CLAIMS THAT COULD RELATE TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT OF WHEEL LOCKUP DURING BRAKING ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS WARRANTED TO DETERMINE THE SCOPE OF THESE ALLEGED BRAKING SYSTEM FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS ON 1993 AND 1994 FORD EXPLORERS.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE96-016. 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
All Ford recallsWhat 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.
Ford VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE96-016
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.