RoadVitals

NHTSA safety investigation

NHTSA Investigation PE03013

Preliminary Evaluation · Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) · ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

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.
1
1 model
Opened
Apr 15, 2003
Preliminary Evaluation
Closed
Sep 9, 2003
No associated recall recorded

What NHTSA is examining

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

IGNITION-PARK INTERLOCK SYSTEM

ALL ODI COMPLAINTS AND CRASHES ARE DUPLICATIVE OF HONDA COMPLAINTS.THE WARRANTY CLAIM COUNT SHOWN FOR OTHER REPRESENTS INCIDENTS WHERE HONDA'S ANALYSIS OF CLAIM DETAIL INDICATES THE INTERLOCK SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED.THE CR-V INTERLOCK SYSTEM UTILIZES AN ECU TO CONTROL A SOLENOID DRIVEN BLOCKING DEVICE THAT PREVENTS KEY REMOVAL WHEN THE SHIFTER IS NOT IN PARK.HONDA DOCUMENTS IDENTIFIED A CONDITION WHERE METALLIC DEBRIS INTERFERES WITH THE OPERATION OF THE BLOCKING SOLENOID AND CAUSES THE INTERLOCK SYSTEM TO MALFUNCTION.HONDA DETERMINED THAT A MANUFACTURING PROCESS WAS THE SOURCE OF THE DEBRIS AND IMPLEMENTED A COUNTERMEASURE IN MARCH 2002.APPROXIMATELY 62,000 VEHICLES WERE PRODUCED PRIOR TO THIS DATE.ODI RECOGNIZES 63 INCIDENTS OF INTERLOCK FAILURE, WHICH INCLUDE 7 ROLLAWAY CRASHES, TWO OF WHICH RESULTED IN THREE INJURIES AND A MULTI VEHICLE ACCIDENT.ALL 63 FAILURES OCCURRED ON VEHICLES PRODUCED PRIOR TO THE MARCH COUNTERMEASURE.NOTING THE POPULATION OF POTENTIALLY AFFECTED VEHICLES, BOTH THE FAILURE AND CRASH RATES ARE OF SIGNIFICANT CONCERN TO ODI.

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
PE03013
Investigation type
Preliminary Evaluation (PE)
Status
Closed
Manufacturer
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
Opened
Apr 15, 2003
Closed
Sep 9, 2003
Associated recall campaign
None recorded

Vehicles named in this investigation

1 model year across 1 model

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.