NHTSA Complaint #10285073 — 1998 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER

AS AN INVESTIGATOR ASSIGNED TO THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL, MULTIDISCIPLINARY ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION TEAM (MAIT) IN SACRAMENTO, AND AS DIRECTED BY THE MAIT OPERATIONS MANUAL, THIS IS TO NOTIFY NHTSA/ODI OF THE VERIFIED FAILURE OF A SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM IN A VEHICLE INVOLVED IN A SEVERE-INJURY TRAFFIC COLLISION. ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2009, A 1998 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION IN SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, CA. THE REGISTERED OWNER/SOLE OCCUPANT IN THE VOYAGER SUSTAINED INJURY WHEN HIS VEHICLE COLLIDED INTO THE REAR OF A 1999 CHEVROLET TAHOE, AT SPEED. THE PRINCIPAL DIRECTION OF FORCE WAS ESSENTIALLY FROM FRONT-TO-REAR THROUGH THE PLYMOUTH AND THE FRONTAL DAMAGE WAS EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE FULL WIDTH OF THE VEHICLE. THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SRS DEPLOYED, AND THE DRIVER'S SRS DID NOT. THE DRIVER OF THE PLYMOUTH WAS RESTRAINED BY HIS SEAT BELT. A QUERY OF THE NHTSA WEBSITE INDICATED THE PLYMOUTH WAS SUBJECT TO RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN 04V-480, AND DAIMLER CHRYSLER RECALL NO. D17. THE RECALL WAS THE SUBJECT OF EA04-013 OF THE ODI. A LOCAL DODGE DEALER CONFIRMED THE VEHICLE WAS PART OF THE GROUP UNDER RECALL AND HAD NOT UNDERGONE CORRECTION OF THE CONDITION DESPITE RECORDS OF MAILED NOTIFICATIONS TO THE REGISTERED OWNER, OF VALLEY SPRINGS, CA. THE DRIVER OF THE PLYMOUTH MADE NO STATEMENT REGARDING THE STATUS OF THE SRS WARNING INDICATOR LAMP PRIOR TO THE COLLISION, WHICH IS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE STOCKTON AREA OF THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL. VALLEY DAVISON MAIT'S PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION INDICATES THAT THE DRIVER?S SRS COMPONENTS WERE IN PLACE ON THE VEHICLE. MAIT WILL NOT CONDUCT A FAILURE ANALYSIS INVESTIGATION, AS THE MATTER IS CIVIL, NOT CRIMINAL, IN NATURE. A REPORT OF THE MAIT FINDINGS WILL FOLLOW. OFFICER C.M. PORT, ID 9729 CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL, VALLEY DIVISION MAIT. *TR UPDATED 07/01/10 *BF UPDATED 07/06/10*JB