Investigations
WHEEL SEPARATIONS
NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA04033 - closed, opened 2004-12-20.
NHTSA investigation EA04033 is a Engineering Analysis opened on 2004-12-20 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2005-12-13 - 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 EA04033 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: "ON JANUARY 11, 2005, ODI INITIATED A MONITORING PROGRAM THAT REQUESTED PACE AMERICAN TO NOTIFY ODI OF ALL NEW WHEEL SEPARATION INCIDENTS. DURING THE APPROXIMATELY ELEVEN-MONTH REPORTING PERIOD, PACE AMERICAN HAS INFORMED..." 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
ON JANUARY 11, 2005, ODI INITIATED A MONITORING PROGRAM THAT REQUESTED PACE AMERICAN TO NOTIFY ODI OF ALL NEW WHEEL SEPARATION INCIDENTS. DURING THE APPROXIMATELY ELEVEN-MONTH REPORTING PERIOD, PACE AMERICAN HAS INFORMED ODI THAT NO ADDITIONAL WHEEL SEPARATION INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED IN MODEL YEAR 2003 VEHICLES THAT ARE THE SUBJECT OF THIS INVESTIGATION. DURING THIS REPORTING PERIOD, PACE REPORTED TWO INCIDENTS PERTAINING TO MODEL YEAR 2004 VEHICLES WHICH, WHEN COMBINED WITH ONE EARLIER REPORT OF A LOOSENED WHEEL, REPRESENT AN INCIDENT RATE OF 8 PER 100,000 VEHICLES FOR MY 2004 VEHICLES. PACE ALSO REPORTED EIGHT INCIDENTS PERTAINING TO MODEL YEAR 2005 VEHICLES, WHICH REPRESENT AN INCIDENT RATE OF 21 PER 100,000 VEHICLES. THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF WHEELS SEPARATIONS FROM ANY PACE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED SINCE MARCH 2005. ON DECEMBER 12, 2005, PACE OUTLINED SEVERAL PLANNED OR COMPLETED ACTIONS INTENDED TO IMPROVE WHEEL RETENTION. ACCORDINGLY, ODI WILL CLOSE THIS INVESTIGATION BUT CONTINUE TO MONITOR WHEEL SEPARATIONS FOR ANOTHER TWELVE MONTHS. THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS. THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
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.