Investigations
FAILURE
NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA87016 - closed, opened 1987-04-15.
NHTSA investigation EA87016 is a Engineering Analysis opened on 1987-04-15 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1987-08-19 - 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 EA87016 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: "SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER: ROCKWELL AND FRUEHAUF ORIGINALLYREPORTED AXLE CRACKING PROBLEMS WHEN UTILIZING THE SUBJECT SUSPENSION.APPLICABLE FINAL STAGE MANUFACTURERS WERE NOTIFIED AND EIGHT CONDUCTEDSAFETY..." 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
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER: ROCKWELL AND FRUEHAUF ORIGINALLYREPORTED AXLE CRACKING PROBLEMS WHEN UTILIZING THE SUBJECT SUSPENSION.APPLICABLE FINAL STAGE MANUFACTURERS WERE NOTIFIED AND EIGHT CONDUCTEDSAFETY RECALLS. AS A RESULT OF THE ABOVE CIRCUMSTANCES, EATON NOTIFIEDTHEIR CUSTOMERS THAT THEY HAD DISCONTINUED THE APPROVAL AND SALE OF CERTAINTRAILER AXLES IN LIQUID AND DRY BULK APPLICATIONS WHEN UTILIZING NEWAY'SRC-122 RUBBER SUSPENSION. SINCE THEIR AXLE IS SIMILAR TO ROCKWELLS, EATONWAS CONCERNED THAT THEY WOULD BEGAN TO SUSTAIN FAILURES. THEY RECOMMENDEDTHE THE AXLES BE TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE IMMEDIATELY, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD NOREPORTS OF ANY AXLES CRACKING OR FAILING. THE SUBJECT AXLES HAVE BEENUSED WITH THE NEWAY SUSPENSION SINCE DECEMBER 1982.ANALYSIS: EATON'S RECOMMENDATION TO REMOVE THE SUBJECT AXLES FROM SERVICEWAS PRECAUTIONARY. AFTER 5 YEARS OF POSSIBLE SERVICE, EATON REPORTED NOWARRANTY CLAIMS, NO FAILURES, AND NO COMPLAINTS.STATUS: THIS INVESTIGATION WAS CLOSED ON AUGUST 19, 1987, AS NO SAFETYRELATED DEFECT WAS DETECTED.====
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.