Investigations
BOAT TRAILER DISC BRAKE LOCKUP
NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA99033 - closed, opened 1999-11-29.
NHTSA investigation EA99033 is a Engineering Analysis opened on 1999-11-29 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2001-06-13 - 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 EA99033 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: "After receiving a report from a Florida boat dealer alleging certain hydraulic surge brake calipers manufactured by Tie Down Engineering "freeze" on the caliper carrier pins, ODI opened PE99-034. During the course of con..." 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
After receiving a report from a Florida boat dealer alleging certain hydraulic surge brake calipers manufactured by Tie Down Engineering "freeze" on the caliper carrier pins, ODI opened PE99-034. During the course of conducting the PE, ODI has found that numerous performance failures have occurred involving Tie Down's boat trailer brake calipers. Since their introduction in June 1997, the calipers have been upgraded at least 3 times. In all, Tie Down has made more than 18 changes to the calipers addressing complaints received from trailer manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and owners. Most of these complaints related to the original caliper (GEN1) producted from June, 1998 through September, 1998. The two most serious complaints lodged by those familiar with the system, involve inadvertent brake lock-up while towing at speed and brake fluid leakage from the caliper/poston interface (the allege cause of the crash). To clarify these and other issues, we have upgraded the PE to this EA.
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.