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NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE96-022: ALLEGED FAILURE OF STEERING PITMAN SHAFT

  • Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE96-022 on March 22, 1996 and closed it on July 31, 1996. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 1994–1995 Dodge Ram 1500 for it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number
PE96-022 (also written PE96022)
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 31, 1996
Opened
Closed
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Component
Steering — Gear Box — Shaft Pitman
Vehicles and equipment
1994–1995 Dodge Ram 1500

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 PE96-022.

STEERING BOX OUTPUT (PITMAN) SHAFT BREAKAGE RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE96-022. 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.

Dodge

All Dodge 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.

Dodge VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for PE96-022

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.