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NHTSA safety investigation

NHTSA Investigation PE97045

Preliminary Evaluation · Volvo Car USA, LLC · 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.
1
1 model
Opened
Oct 23, 1997
Preliminary Evaluation
Closed
Feb 13, 1998
No associated recall recorded

What NHTSA is examining

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

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE

ODI HAS RECEIVED FOUR OWNER COMPLAINTS OF VOLVO 850 ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES, ALL INVOLVING 1996 MODEL YEAR VEHICLES.TABLE 1 SHOWS THE DISTRIBUTION OF FIRE INCIDENTS KNOWN TO ODI AND VOLVO BY MODEL YEAR AND INCIDENT YEAR FOR ALL 1993-97 VOLVO 850 VEHICLES.VOLVO HAS CLASSIFIED MOST OF THE FIRES AS OCCURRING FROM UNDETERMINED CAUSES.IN THOSE FEW CASES WHERE PROBABLE OR POSSIBLE CAUSES WERE IDENTIFIED, NO COMMON DEFECT PATTERN OR TREND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED.THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED, BUT ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE ISSUE THROUGH 11998 WITH QUARTERLY REPORTS FROM VOLVO.

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
PE97045
Investigation type
Preliminary Evaluation (PE)
Status
Closed
Manufacturer
Volvo Car USA, LLC
Component
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Opened
Oct 23, 1997
Closed
Feb 13, 1998
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.