Wheel & Pulley Collapse

On January 27, 2010 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was petitioned by Thomas M. Gisslen, that it conduct an “investigation of certain products manufactured by Dayton Wheel Concepts, Inc. and that the agency issue an order requiring Dayton Wheel to remedy certain alleged design defects. In assessing the petitioner's claim that the subject Dayton products are defective, NHTSA reviewed all reasonably available information (including Dayton's responses to our information requests) to determine whether the products were failing in real-world use and, if so, how frequently. After conducting a comprehensive effort to uncover reports of Dayton wheel separation and/or collapse or motorcycle drive pulley failure, we found no such reports concerning Dayton wheels and one (from 2007) involving a drive pulley, the latter apparently resulting from improper installation. Based on that review, we found no evidence that a safety-related defect trend, related to the petitioner's allegations, currently exists. Therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA's limited resources to best accomplish the agency's safety mission, the petition is denied. However, we will continue screening for related reports and will take further action if warranted.