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NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE96-070: TRANSMISSION FLUID FIRES

  • Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE96-070 on November 26, 1996 and closed it on May 15, 1997. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 1994–1996 Dodge Ram for it and links recalls 97V-084 and 96V-084 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number
PE96-070 (also written PE96070)
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 May 15, 1997
Opened
Closed
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Component
Power Train
Recalls linked by NHTSA
Vehicles and equipment
1994–1996 Dodge Ram

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE96-070.

TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKAGE AT COOLER TUBE DISCONNECTS IS ALLEGED TO HAVE RESULTED IN VEHICLE FIRES.(this resume was revises on 12/3/96 to include the 1996 model year truck equipped with the subject equipment)

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE96-070. 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 PE96-070

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.