Investigations
AXLE FAILURE WITH WHEEL SEPARATION
NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA03016 - closed, opened 2003-08-29.
NHTSA investigation EA03016 is a Engineering Analysis opened on 2003-08-29 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2003-10-10 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
An Engineering Analysis like EA03016 is the deeper technical phase that follows a PE. NHTSA requests design, warranty, and field-failure data from the manufacturer, conducts its own testing when needed, and determines whether the evidence supports a safety defect finding that would compel a recall.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "THE EA WAS OPENED BASED ON INFORMATION OBTAINED DURING THE PE WHICH INDICATED A SAFETY DEFECT TREND CONCERNING AXLE SPINDLE FAILURES. DURING THE EA IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE PATTERN OF FAILURES PERTAINED TO TRAILERS BUI..." Investigations are the early-warning layer of the federal auto-safety system, sitting upstream of formal recalls and defect orders. Whether this one closes without action or escalates into an Engineering Analysis, the full history stays in the ODI archive so researchers, litigators, and buyers can pull the paper trail at any time.
Investigation Summary
THE EA WAS OPENED BASED ON INFORMATION OBTAINED DURING THE PE WHICH INDICATED A SAFETY DEFECT TREND CONCERNING AXLE SPINDLE FAILURES. DURING THE EA IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE PATTERN OF FAILURES PERTAINED TO TRAILERS BUILT DURING A SPECIFIC TIME PERIOD. ODI AND FINN OFFICIALS DISCUSSED THE PATTERN AND FINN CONTACTED THE AXLE MANUFACTURER, HENSCHEN INC, LOCATED IN OHIO. AS A RESULT, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT AXLES PRODUCED FOR VEHICLES BUILT FROM DECEMBER 2000 TO DECEMBER 2001 MAY HAVE AN UNDERSIZED RADIUS ON THE AXLE SPINDLE. AN AXLE BUILT WITH AN UNDERSIZED RADIUS MAY SUFFER A STRESS RISER THAT ULTIMATELY WILL ALLOW THE SPINDLE AND WHEEL END ASSEMBLY TO SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE. TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM, THE AXLE MANUFACTURER WILL SUPPLY NEW AXLES WHICH HAVE BEEN 100% INSPECTED FOR PROPER MATCHING TO ENSURE THE SPECIFICATIONS REQUIRED BY THE ENGINEERING DRAWINGS ARE MET. TRAILER OWNERS IN THE IDENTIFIED VIN RANGE WILL BE CONTACTED AND HAVE THEIR AXLES REPLACED WITH THE NEW UNITS. SIXTY-EIGHT AXLES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS POTENTIALLY HAVING THE DEFECTIVE AXLES. THIS IS A SUBSET OF THE ORIGINAL POPULATION OF 219, AND ODI BELIEVES THAT THIS IS THE PROPER POPULATION TO RECALL, BASED ON THE FACTS CURRENTLY KNOWN. THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED. FINN CORPORATION HAS TAKEN THE APPROPRIATE STEPS TO REMEDY TRAILERS LIKELY TO INCUR A FAILURE.
About This Investigation Type
An Engineering Analysis (EA) is the in-depth phase following a Preliminary Evaluation. NHTSA engineers conduct testing, collect data from manufacturers, and perform detailed technical analysis to determine whether a safety defect exists. An EA may lead to a voluntary recall by the manufacturer or, in rare cases, a mandatory recall order.
Data from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Cross-references: NHTSA recall campaign API and NHTSA FARS where fatality records overlap. PlainCars does not rate or recommend vehicles. about how PlainCars sources NHTSA data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.