NHTSA safety investigation
NHTSA Investigation SQ97002
Investigation · EXIDE CORPORATION · ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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.
What NHTSA is examining
The agency's own description of the inquiry, quoted as published
REVERSE POLARITY ON BATTERY CABLE
EXCIDE HAS CONDUCT AN EXHAUSTIVE INTERNAL INVESTIGATION AND HAS INSPECTED OVER 150,000 SET OF CABLES.AS A RESULT OF THIS INVESTIGATION, A TOTAL OF 25 SETS OF CABLES HAVE BEEN FOUND IN ADDITION TO 5 SETS RETURNED AND A REPORT OF A PROBLEM WITH 1 SET WHERE THE SPECIFIC NATURE OF THE PROBLEM IS UNKNOWN.ALL SETS WERE BUILT PRIOR TO NOVEMBER 1995.SINCE THAT TIME EXCIDE HAS IMPLEMENTED AUTOMATED CRIMPING, CURRENT POLARITY TESTING AND OPTICAL SCANNING.WITH OVER 1.2 MILLION CABLES SOLD EXCIDE IS AWARE OF ONLY TWO REPORTED INCIDENTS INVOLVING REVERSE POLARITYTHE RESULTING FAILURE RATE IS .0000275.A SAFETY DEFET TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FUTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR WARRANTED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXITS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION WHEN APPROPRIATE.
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
- SQ97002
- Investigation type
- Investigation (SQ)
- Status
- Closed
- Manufacturer
- EXIDE CORPORATION
- Component
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Opened
- Jan 9, 1997
- Closed
- Jan 11, 1997
- Associated recall campaign
- None recorded
Vehicles named in this investigation
6 model years across 2 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.