Investigations
FRONT TIRE FAILURES
NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA05011 - closed, opened 2005-07-14.
NHTSA investigation EA05011 is a Engineering Analysis opened on 2005-07-14 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2006-08-30 - 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 EA05011 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 JUNE 30, 2006, COUNTRY COACH FILED DEFECT REPORT 06V-262 STATING THAT THE "TOYO 275/70R22.5 M102Z TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE AND COULD FAIL UNEXPECTEDLY CAUSING A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL." ODI'S INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT FRON..." 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 JUNE 30, 2006, COUNTRY COACH FILED DEFECT REPORT 06V-262 STATING THAT THE "TOYO 275/70R22.5 M102Z TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE AND COULD FAIL UNEXPECTEDLY CAUSING A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL." ODI'S INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT FRONT TIRE FAILURES HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY COUNTRY COACH'S SELECTION OF TIRES THAT PROVIDED MARGINAL LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY FOR THEIR INTENDED APPLICATION. OWNERS WERE FREQUENTLY UNABLE TO COMPLY WITH COUNTRY COACH'S CAMPAIGN REQUIREMENTS BECAUSE THESE REQUIREMENTS WERE INEFFECTIVELY COMMUNCIATED AND BECAUSE SPECIFIED TIRE INFLATION PRESSURES WERE DIFFICULT FOR OWNERS TO ACHIEVE AND MAINTAIN. ODI ALSO FOUND THAT THE RUBBER PROPERTIES OF THE TOYO 275/70R22.5 M102Z DEGRADE WITH TIME. THE DEGRADATION IN RUBBER PROPERTIES DOES NOT PROVIDE ANY OBVIOUS INDICATIONS TO THE VEHICLE OWNER AND THE TIRES BECOME MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO FAILURE OVER TIME WHEN SUBJECTED TO THE VEHICLE OPERATING CONDITIONS DESCRIBED ABOVE.
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.