NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE98-043: EXHAUST PIPE BURNS
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE98-043 on August 5, 1998 and closed it on October 21, 1998. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 1998 Volvo V70 for it and links recall 98V-254 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE98-043 (also written PE98043)
- 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 October 21, 1998
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Volvo Car USA, LLC
- Component
- Vehicle Speed Control — Linkages
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 98V-254: VOLVO/TAILPIPE BURNING, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 1998 Volvo V70
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE98-043.
ODI OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION BASED ON TWO REPORTS OF CHILDREN RECEIVING BURNS ON THEIR LEG FROM THE HOT EXHAUST PIPE WHILE EXITING 1998 MODEL YEAR V70 WAGONS VIA THE REAR LIFTGATE.THESE VEHICLES WERE EQUIPPED WITH A DEALER INSTALLED REAR FACING CHILDREN'S AUXILIARY SEAT (AUXILIARY SEAT).
ENTRY TO ANDEXIT FROM THE AUXILIARY SEAT IS ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH THE REAR LIFTGATE.THE END OF THE EXHAUST PIPE, OR EXHAUST PIPE EXTENSION, ON THE V70 MODEL PROTUDES BEYOUND THE REAR BUNPER FASCIA THRUS INCREASING THE LIKELIHOOD THAT AUXILIARY SEAT OCCUPANTS WILL BURN THEMSELVES WHEN EXITING THE VEHICLE.ADDITIONALLY, A THIRD CHILD WAS ALSO BURNED ON IT'S LEG WHILE WALKING AROUND THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE.VOLVO'S ANALYSIS OF THIS ISSUE REVEALED 14 ADDITIONAL REPORTS RESULTING IN 18 INJURIES.VOLVO HAS AGREED TO CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES.ALL REGISTERED OWNERS OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WILL NOTIFIED VIA FIRST CLASS MAIL, AS VOLVO CANNOT DETERMINE WHO MAY HAVE HAD AN AUXILIARY SEAT INSTALLED IN THEIR VEHICLE.THE NOTIFICATION TO ALL SUBJECT VEHICLE OWNERS WILL ALSO EFFCTIVELY INFORM THOSE OWNERS WHO MAY WISH TO HAVE AN AUXILIARY SEAT ADDED TO THEIR VEHICLES IN THE FUTURE.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE98-043. 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.
Volvo
Volvo V70
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.
Volvo VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE98-043
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.