Ford engineering analysis EA10001
Inadvertent airbag deployment. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this engineering analysis about the air bags on 3 model years (2004–2006). Opened Jan 13, 2010, closed Apr 25, 2011 after 15 months. It led to safety recall 11V107000. became a recall
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedODI opened this investigation based on reports of inadvertent airbag deployment. Data provided by Ford indicated that the airbag clockspring jumper wire, which is situated inside the steering wheel assembly, was installed in a manner that would allow it to rub (abrade) against a sharp metal edge on the nearby horn plate. Because the horn plate is electrically grounded the abrasion of an airbag wire on the sharp edge could cause a short circuit condition. As a result the airbag light may illuminate and/or the airbag may inadvertently deploy. Inadvertent deployments are most likely to occur during the airbag system's self-diagnostic test that initiates when the ignition switch is turned on. Ford modified the vehicle design in late January 2006 adding a protective tape over the sharp metal edge of the horn plate. Ford made additional design changes on MY 2007 vehicles to the horn plate, the clockspring jumper, and the connector layouts to further address this issue. ODI identified 318 deployment incidents with 121 alleged injury reports from subject vehicles. All but one of the incident and injury reports occurred in vehicles built before the January 2006 modification. In addition, there was one incident and alleged injury reported in the MY 2006 Mark LT vehicles that share the same design. In letters dated February 21 and April 11, 2011, Ford announced a recall of all of the approximately 1.3 million MY 2004-2006 F-150 vehicles built prior to January 24, 2006, the date the initial vehicle modification was made. In addition, approximately 14,000 MY 2006 Mark LT vehicles built prior to January 24, 2006 will also be recalled. Vehicles built after that date, which contain the modification, are not within the recall scope. Accordingly the investigation is closed.
A Engineering Analysis is the deeper stage, usually upgraded from a Preliminary Evaluation: NHTSA tests, requests engineering documents and decides whether a safety defect exists. The summary is the agency’s own text from its investigation file, unedited; the opening and closing resumes with the full reasoning are on NHTSA’s site under this number.
What this means for an owner
Source: and what happens nextAn investigation is not a finding that a defect exists, and it puts no duty on anyone. NHTSA opens a Preliminary Evaluation when complaints and other reports suggest a condition worth asking the manufacturer about; it upgrades to an Engineering Analysis when the answers warrant testing; it closes either when it recommends a recall, when the manufacturer recalls on its own, or when no defect trend is found. The agency’s own goals are about four months for a petition, eight for a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query and eighteen for an Engineering Analysis; many run longer.
This one became a recall. The campaign page carries the manufacturer’s filed defect, risk and remedy, the build window and every model year covered; whether one specific vehicle is included is settled by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Model years it names
Source: as NHTSA filed themAlso named: 2004 Ford F-150; 2005 Ford F-150; 2006 Ford F-150.
A vehicle page’s investigation list carries the same action; a name here is the scope NHTSA opened, not a list of affected VINs.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationIs EA10001 a recall?
No — it is the investigation that led to one. Recall 11V107000 is the campaign; its page carries the remedy.
Is EA10001 still open?
No. It closed on Apr 25, 2011 and led to recall 11V107000.
Which vehicles does EA10001 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 3 model years: 2004 Ford F-150, 2005 Ford F-150, 2006 Ford F-150. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.