RoadVitals

NHTSA safety investigation

NHTSA Investigation EA09013

Engineering Analysis · Ford Motor Company · POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

ClosedEngineering Analysis

An investigation is not a finding that a defect exists.

NHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.

Model years namedModel years in our database that NHTSA associated with this inquiry. Being named in an investigation says nothing about whether an individual vehicle has any problem.
11
3 models
Opened
Aug 18, 2009
Engineering Analysis
Closed
Feb 12, 2013
No associated recall recorded

What NHTSA is examining

The agency's own description of the inquiry, quoted as published

Vehicle Rollaway Allegations

This investigation is being closed based on several considerations.By the most inclusive counting of all alleged rollaway incidents (i.e., counting all alleged rollaway incidents and assuming a singular failure mechanism), the incident rate is low, however during EA09-013, ODI identified a number of different failure mechanisms in 180 incidents related to the alleged defect.The highest rate for any particular failure mechanism, the failure of the Automatic Transmission Parking System, was 4.4/100K.The next-highest failure rate was for the BSI System, at 3.4/100K.For all identified failure mechanisms there has been a drastically declining trend including very few incidents occurring in recent years.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.For additional information regarding this investigation, see the complete closing resume in the document file for EA09-013. The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification (ODI) numbers:10168454, 10279630, 10280078.

An investigation is a separate record from a recall and from a manufacturer communication. A manufacturer campaign to repair a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard.

Investigation details

Identifiers, dates and outcome as recorded by NHTSA

Action number
EA09013
Investigation type
Engineering Analysis (EA)
Status
Closed
Manufacturer
Ford Motor Company
Component
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
Opened
Aug 18, 2009
Closed
Feb 12, 2013
Associated recall campaign
None recorded

Vehicles named in this investigation

11 model years across 3 models

Being named here means NHTSA included the vehicle in the scope of its inquiry. It is not a statement that these vehicles have a defect.