Ford preliminary evaluation PE13031
Electric powertrain propulsion failure. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the traction battery on 3 model years (2012–2014). Opened Sep 6, 2013, closed Nov 15, 2013 after 2 months. It led to safety recall 13V523000. became a recall
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedIn an October 28, 2013 letter to NHTSA, Ford Motor Company (Ford) submitted a recall notice identifying a defect in the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software in approximately 2,456 model year (MY) 2012 through 2014 Ford Focus Electric vehicles manufactured from September 15, 2011 through August 23, 2013 (Recall No. 13V-523).According to Ford, PCM software faults may cause a complete loss of powertrain torque. When this condition occurs, drivers receive a red triangle indicator and the message Stop Safely Now in the instrument cluster. In addition, vehicle brake and steering systems will continue to operate normally and the vehicle can be restarted after going through a shutdown process. Ford and its supplier, Magna Powertrain, upgraded the PCM software to address powertrain shutdown conditions and issued a technical service bulletin on September 23, 2013 instructing dealers to reprogram the PCM on all affected vehicles. The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) analyzed complaint data provided by Ford as well as complaints submitted to ODI from consumers. In total, there were 171 unique reports indicating loss of motive power while driving, and the predominant failure mode identified involved loss of powertrain torque. Ford began owner notification on November 5, 2012. Owners of the recalled vehicles are notified to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer who will reprogram the PCM to the latest calibration. See the investigative public file for copies of Ford's bulletin and owner letter. This preliminary evaluation is closed. The ODI reports cited above can be viewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification numbers (ODI Nos.): 10536160,10534988,10534323,10531894,10525393,10525187,10523536,10521207,10516270,10512459,10512146,10509307,10543015,10542983,10542840,10542753,10538223,10537801,10537111,10537048,10536894,10536592,10536538,10536510,10526350,10524026,10522585,10521986,10521459,10519446,10545282.
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 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: 2012 Ford Focus Electric; 2013 Ford Focus Electric; 2014 Ford Focus Electric.
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 PE13031 a recall?
No — it is the investigation that led to one. Recall 13V523000 is the campaign; its page carries the remedy.
Is PE13031 still open?
No. It closed on Nov 15, 2013 and led to recall 13V523000.
Which vehicles does PE13031 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 3 model years: 2012 Ford Focus Electric, 2013 Ford Focus Electric, 2014 Ford Focus Electric. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.