NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA06003

DAIMLERCHRYSLER (DCC) WILL REPLACE THE FRAME RAIL-MOUNTED FRONT AIR BAG CRASH SENSORS IN APPROXIMATELY 270,958 MY 2005 DAIMLERCHRYSLER MINIVANS (NHTSA RECALL NO. 07V-192).THESE VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH FRONT CRASH SENSORS WITH BRASS BUSHINGS AND WERE BUILT BETWEEN APRIL 24, 2003 AND FEBRUARY 2, 2005.THIS ACTION COVERS VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD, OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED, IN 27 STATES (ALASKA, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH DAKOTA, UTAH, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA AND WISCONSIN) AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.VEHICLES SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED OUTSIDE OF THESE STATES, APPROXIMATELY 133,128 MY 2005 MINIVANS, WILL RECEIVE A LIFETIME WARRANTY ON THE FRONT CRASH SENSORS.ALTHOUGH THESE VEHICLES USE THE SAME BRASS BUSHING SENSORS AND WERE BUILT DURING THE SAME PERIOD AS THE ONES DESCRIBED ABOVE, THEY EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER FAILURE RATES BECAUSE OF REDUCED ROAD SALT EXPOSURE.DCC WILL ALSO PROVIDE WRITTEN NOTIFICATION TO ALL AFFECTED VEHICLE OWNERS.NHTSA AND DCC DIFFER REGARDING THE SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE DEFECT, BUT IN THE INTEREST OF REMEDYING THE AFFECTED VEHICLES EXPEDITIOUSLY AND TO AVOID A PROTRACTED DISPUTE, DCC IS IMPLEMENTING STEPS TO REPLACE THE SUBJECT COMPONENTS.BASED ON THESE ACTIONS, THE AGENCY HAS DECIDED THAT FURTHER USE OF ITS RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THE AGENCY WILL MONITOR THE ISSUE AND RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.SELECT DOCUMENT SEARCH FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.