NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE97-002: WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURE

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE97-002 on January 17, 1997 and closed it on February 27, 1997. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 1996 Hyundai Elantra for it and links recall 97V-026 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: PE97-002 (also written PE97002)
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 February 27, 1997
Opened: January 17, 1997
Closed: February 27, 1997
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Component: Visibility
Recall linked by NHTSA: 97V-026: HYUNDAI/WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR, reported February 26, 1997
Vehicles and equipment: 1996 Hyundai Elantra

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE97-002.

IN ITS LETTER DATED FEBRUARY 14, 1997, HYUNDAI STATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 75,000 HYUNDAI VEHICLES (CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1996-97 ELANTRA, ACCENT, SONATA AND TIBURON MODELS BUILT THROUGH OCTOBER 18, 1996 -- SEE NHTSA RECALL NO. 97V-026 FOR DETAILS) WILL BE RECALLED FOR A DEFECT IN THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR.HYUNDAI STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR MAY NOT OPERATE IN COLD WEATHER CONDITIONS DUE TO CONTAMINATION OF THE MOTOR'S CIRCUIT BREAKER ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WITH SOLDERING FLUX DURING MANUFACTURING PROCESS.HYUNDAI WILL REMEDY THE DEFECT BY CLEANING THE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS TO REMOVE THE CONTAMINANTS.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE97-002. 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.

Hyundai

Hyundai Elantra
- 1996

All Hyundai 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.

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

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for PE97-002

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.