Under the present circumstance, it is unlikely that further investigation would produce sufficient evidence to demonstrate the existence of a safety-related defect in the subject vehicles. Therefore, this investigation is closed based on the evidence available at this time.
Why did you leave this part out?
“The available information regarding fuel tank failure mode, the risk of fire per fatal crash, field performance, and crash testing indicate that the performance of the subject vehicle in high-energy rear crashes is not unlike that of the most comparable peer vehicle, the GM B-body.”
Basically, they closed the investigation because the CV was no better than a B-Body, so therefore by government logic, there was ‘no defect’. However, the B-Body design was also terrible! The only cars sold in the last decade that kept the fuel tank in the Fed-mandated crumple zone were the Ford Mustang (fixed in 05) and the Panther-platform cars. Everyone else removed their fuel tanks from that location long ago. Sure, it used to be par for the course, but so did dashboards without crash padding or not installing seatbelts at the factory. By modern standards not affected by government logic, that is a clear defect in the design.