NHTSA reviews defect petition on 1990–1996 Chevrolet, Chrysler and 3 other makes’ vehicles: DEFECTIVE AIR BAG CRASH SENSOR
On November 14, 1996, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Defect Petition (DP96014) into 1990–1996 Chevrolet, Chrysler and 3 other makes’ vehicles, concerning the air bags. A Defect Petition is a request, usually from a vehicle owner, asking NHTSA to open a defect investigation; ODI reviews it and then grants or denies it. As of NHTSA’s latest data it is still open.
- Action
- DP96014 (Defect Petition)
- Status
- Open
- Component
- Air Bags: Frontal: Sensor/Control Module-Inactive
- Listed
- 16 make/model/year entries in NHTSA’s file
Vehicles under investigation
| Makes | Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Plymouth |
|---|---|
| Models | Beretta, Caravan, Corsica, Taurus, Town AND Country, Voyager |
| Model years | 1990–1996 |
As listed in NHTSA’s investigation file. Not every vehicle of a listed model is necessarily affected.
What ODI says
CFAS SENT A FOLLOW-UP LETTER ON DECEMBER 12, 1996, TO CHANGE THE INTENT OF THE PETITION TO AIRBAG AGGRESSIVITY AND DEPLOYMENT VARIABILITY.NHTSA RECEIVED THE LETTER ON 12/12/96; ACCORDINGLY, THE PETITION DUE DAY WAS CHANGED TO APRIL 12, 1997.CFAS PETITIONED THE AGENCY TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE AIRBAG CRASH SENSOR AND/OR DEPLOYMENT SYSTEMS FOR THE 1991-92 CHEVROLET CORSICA/BERETTA, 1990-92 FORD TAURUS, AND 1994-96 CHRYSLER MINIVANS ARE DEFECTIVE.CFAS ALLEGE THAT INFORMATION ON LOW SPEED CRASHES HERE OCCUPANTS HAVE SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES SUGGESTS [THAT THE ABOVE VEHICLES] HAVE DEFECTIVE AIRBAG CRASH SENSOR AND/OR DEPLOYMENT SYSTEMS.
Official summary by NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation for DP96014, quoted in full (U.S. government work, public domain).
Recalls and problems for these vehicles
Timeline
- ODI opens defect petition DP96014
- OpenNo closing date yet
What this means for owners
- An investigation is not a recall. NHTSA has not made a defect finding here, and owners are not asked to do anything yet. If a safety defect is confirmed, the manufacturer recalls the vehicles and the repair is free.
- Check your vehicle for open recalls with a free VIN recall check.
- Had this problem? File a complaint with NHTSA. Owner complaints are the evidence ODI uses to open and expand investigations.
Official record: search DP96014 or your vehicle at NHTSA.gov/recalls, which lists investigations alongside recalls. Data: NHTSA ODI investigations file, updated daily. All NHTSA investigations.