Jeep preliminary evaluation PE10031
Crash Related Fuel Tank Fires. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the hoses, lines/piping, and fittings on 12 model years (1993–2004). Opened Aug 23, 2010, closed Jun 14, 2012 after 22 months without a recall. closed
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedNHTSA has conducted extensive analysis of the data regarding fuel tank integrity for the model year (MY) 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee (JGC). As a result of that work, the agency has decided to upgrade its safety defect investigation to an Engineering Analysis and to expand the scope of vehicles included in the investigation. NHTSA's assessment of the data collected during this investigation indicates that rear-impact-related tank failures and vehicle fires are more prevalent in the JGC than in the non-Jeep peer vehicles. In addition, the agency's analysis of its FARS data for the peer vehicles and three Jeep models shows a higher incidence of rear-impact, fatal fire crashes for the Jeep products. PE10-031 had focused on the fuel tank system integrity of the JGC vehicles during rear-end collisions and impacts. The fuel tank is located at the rear of the vehicle, between the bumper and axle, and is manufactured from a plastic material (HDPE).Three peer vehicles (across the same MY range as the JGC) were identified for comparative assessment: the Chevrolet Blazer, Ford Explorer, and Toyota 4Runner. ODI has collected and assessed a significant volume of data for the JGC and three peer vehicles under the Defect Petition (DP) 09-005 and PE10-031, much of which was either provided by the petitioner or by the subject and peer manufacturers in response to ODI's information request letters. NHTSA has also utilized its FARS database. Fatal crash data was collected for the JGC and its three peers, along with data for two other Jeep vehicles, the Cherokee and Liberty, which were also manufactured with rear mounted fuel tanks and assessed by ODI as Jeep peer vehicles. Based on the agency's current analysis, ODI is upgrading its investigation to determine whether the subject vehicles contain a defect that presents an unreasonable risk to safety. The subject vehicles for EA12-005 will be MY 1993-2004 JGC, MY 1993-2001 Cherokee, and MY 2002-2007 Liberty; the estimated production volumes for these vehicles is approximately 5.1 million, although attrition is a factor for the older vehicles. Please note that the counts shown in the above failure report summary are for the JGC only (values shown in the total column are unique).Data for the other Jeep models and possibly other peer models will be collected during the investigation. The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed online at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification (ODI) numbers:506249, 549376, 734783, 869217, 10009553, 10335943, 10351589, 10351980, 10357528.
A Preliminary Evaluation is the first formal stage: NHTSA has decided the complaints and other information it screened are worth a closer look, and asks the manufacturer for its own data on the condition. 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 closed without a recall. That means NHTSA found no defect trend it chose to act on at the time, or the manufacturer addressed the condition another way (a service campaign or a bulletin, which have their own pages). A closed file can be reopened if new reports arrive.
Model years it names
Source: as NHTSA filed themAlso named: 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee; 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee; 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee; 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee; 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee; 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee; 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee; 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee; 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee; 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee; 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee; 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
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 PE10031 a recall?
No. A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA asking questions, not a recall. A safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number and a duty to repair for free; this one closed without one. Whether one particular vehicle has an open recall is a VIN question at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Is PE10031 still open?
No. It closed on Jun 14, 2012 without a recall.
Which vehicles does PE10031 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 12 model years: 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee and more. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.