Honda engineering analysis EA11004
Driver's Power Window Master Switch. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this engineering analysis about the electrical system on 5 model years (2002–2006). Opened Apr 11, 2011, closed Oct 24, 2012 after 18 months. It led to safety recall 11V456000, 12V486000. became a recall
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedThis investigation was prompted by Preliminary Evaluation (PE) 10-047 and was based on reports from consumers alleging that smoke and/or fire, as defined in 49 CFR ? 579.4, had occurred inside of the driver's door. The subject vehicles, model year (MY) 2006 CR-V, were manufactured at two different assembly plants. The vehicles manufactured in Japan (Sayama plant) were produced with a power window master switch (PWMS) supplied by the Thai Toyo Denso Company, Ltd. (Denso).The vehicles manufactured in the United Kingdom (UK, Swindon, England plant) were produced with a PWMS supplied by the Omron Corporation (Omron).Honda provided 45 reports on the subject vehicles responsive to this investigation. Of this number, 24 reports concerned Japan-built vehicles, 19 reports on UK-built vehicles, and two reports without a vehicle identification number which could not be identified by assembly plant. Four of Honda's reports were duplicative of ODI reports. ODI received nine reports on the subject vehicles:five on Japan-built and four on UK-built vehicles, and one additional report on a MY 2005 UK built vehicle. The ODI reports can be reviewed at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification (ODI) numbers: 10343884, 10307287, 10321646, 10375324, 10386750, 10425406, 10437807, 10439880, 10469350, and 10406979. In most cases, it was reported that the PWMS and/or its electrical wiring harness had sustained heat related damage requiring replacement of the affected component(s).However, in three of the cases involving an Omron PWMS (UK built), a fire breached the driver's door panel and spread into the vehicle interior. Two of the three vehicles were determined to be a total loss by insurance companies, and one was repaired. All three fires occurred as the vehicles were parked with the ignition switch turned off. On September 6, 2011 Honda submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to recall 80,111 subject vehicles built in Japan. In it's DIR, Honda explained that the Denso PWMS assembly has switches made of a resin material that can allow residues to accumulate over time. Residue from silicone based cleaning products used near the PWMS can adhere to the electrical contacts of the switch and repeated operation of the switch may accelerate wear of the electrical contact. Silicone particles that have accumulated between the power source and the ground in the switch can become heated when electrical power is supplied to the circuit. If this occurs, the resin material of the switch can carbonize and form an electrically conductive path which causes the resin material to heat up. As a result, the switch may melt and produce smoke. In the worst case, the switch cover may burn. ODI notes that this recall was limited to MY 2006 because the PWMS subject to the recall (P/N 3750-S9A-C05ZA) was made of a new resin material introduced during MY 2006 production. ODI continued its investigation with respect to UK built vehicles with the Omron PMWS. On October 4, 2012 Honda submitted an additional DIR to recall 268,655 MY 2002-2006 CR-V vehicles. Honda's DIR stated that water or other fluids can enter the Omron PWMS assembly and over time cause electrical resistance in the switch. Increased resistance can result in overheating and melting of the switch, which could potentially cause a fire. Please see both DIRs at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/ under safety recalls 11V456 and 12V486 for further details of the recalls.
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: 2002 Honda CR-V; 2003 Honda CR-V; 2004 Honda CR-V; 2005 Honda CR-V; 2006 Honda CR-V.
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 EA11004 a recall?
No — it is the investigation that led to one. Recall 11V456000, 12V486000 is the campaign; its page carries the remedy.
Is EA11004 still open?
No. It closed on Oct 24, 2012 and led to recall 11V456000, 12V486000.
Which vehicles does EA11004 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 5 model years: 2002 Honda CR-V, 2003 Honda CR-V, 2004 Honda CR-V, 2005 Honda CR-V, 2006 Honda CR-V. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.