Investigations
TREAD SEPARATION
NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA88021 - closed, opened 1988-02-05.
NHTSA investigation EA88021 is a Engineering Analysis opened on 1988-02-05 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1988-08-23 - 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 EA88021 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: INFORMATION SUBMITTED BYUNIROYAL DURING THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION STATED "... THERE HAVE BEENOVER 1,000,000 TIRES PRODUCED IN THIS COUNTRY DURING THE PERIOD IN QUESTIONAND TOTAL..." 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: INFORMATION SUBMITTED BYUNIROYAL DURING THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION STATED "... THERE HAVE BEENOVER 1,000,000 TIRES PRODUCED IN THIS COUNTRY DURING THE PERIOD IN QUESTIONAND TOTAL ADJUSTMENTS FOR ALL REASONS ARE ABOUT .8%. THESE ARE NOTEXTRAORDINARY ADJUSTMENT FIGURES."ANALYSIS: ANALYSIS REVEALS THAT THE ADJUSTMENTS FOR BELT AND TREADSEPARATIONS ARE CONSIDERABLY HIGHER FOR 1985 10 PLY "RIB" TIRES, INCOMPARISON TO THE 8 PLY "RIB" AND 8/10 PLY "LUG" AND "RIB" TIRES PRODUCEDIN 1986. LT235/75R15 UNIROYAL LAREDOS WERE RECALLED IN DECEMBER, 1986.LT235/85R16 GOODRICH TIRES WERE RECALLED IN JULY, 1987.RECOMMENDATION: SEND AN IR.===
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.