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NHTSA safety investigation

NHTSA Investigation PE87047

Preliminary Evaluation · Toyota Motor Corporation · ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

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.
3
1 model
Opened
Aug 18, 1987
Preliminary Evaluation
Closed
Dec 10, 1987
No associated recall recorded

What NHTSA is examining

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

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES

SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:AFTER INVESTIGATION, TOYOTA CANFIND NO COMMON OR SPECIFIC CAUSE OF THE 4 FIRES FROM A VEHICLE POPULATIONOF 77,034.WARRANTY CLAIMS ARE INCONCLUSIVE AND PARALLEL VEHICLE SALES.ANALYSIS:A REVIEW OF THE 2 COMPLAINTS ON THE 1986 MODEL MR2 SPORT COUPE(A RELATIVELY LOW PRODUCTION, SPECIAL INTEREST VEHICLE) DID NOT REVEAL APOTENTIALLY COMMON CAUSE.BOTH VEHICLES WERE OCCUPIED AT THE TIME OF THEFIRES.ONE FIRE WAS NOTICED BECAUSE THE ELECTRICAL ACCESSORIES FAILEDAND THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART, MOMENTS LATER SMOKE AND FLAMES ENGULFEDTHE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.THE OWNER OF THE OTHER VEHICLE REPORTS THEVEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT IDLE WHEN HE NOTICED FLAMES OUT OF THE RIGHT OFTHE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.STATUS:RECOMMEND CLOSING THIS PE AND MONITOR FOR FUTURE EVIDENCE OF ANEMERGING DEFECT TREND.#===

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
PE87047
Investigation type
Preliminary Evaluation (PE)
Status
Closed
Manufacturer
Toyota Motor Corporation
Component
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Opened
Aug 18, 1987
Closed
Dec 10, 1987
Associated recall campaign
None recorded

Vehicles named in this investigation

3 model years 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.