Investigations
REAR VIEW MIRROR STEM FAILURES
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE02083 - closed, opened 2002-11-12.
NHTSA investigation PE02083 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2002-11-12 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2003-02-26 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
A Preliminary Evaluation like PE02083 is the entry point of the federal defect-investigation process. NHTSA engineers scan complaint databases, field reports, and manufacturer data to decide whether an Engineering Analysis is warranted, whether a voluntary recall is already sufficient, or whether the pattern does not rise to a defect finding.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "PROMPTED BY THE REFERENCED OWNER COMPLAINT, ODI OPENED THIS PE AFTER DETERMINING THAT HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALERS HAD FREQUENTLY REPLACED THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT (OE) MIRRORS ON 2002 SPORTSTER 1200 CUSTOM MODEL MOTORCYCLES BE..." 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
PROMPTED BY THE REFERENCED OWNER COMPLAINT, ODI OPENED THIS PE AFTER DETERMINING THAT HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALERS HAD FREQUENTLY REPLACED THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT (OE) MIRRORS ON 2002 SPORTSTER 1200 CUSTOM MODEL MOTORCYCLES BECAUSE OF "STEM" FRACTURES ON THE MIRROR ASSEMBLY. THE "STEM" BEING THE TUBULAR STRUCTURE WHICH CONNECTS THE ACTUAL MIRROR HEAD ASSEMBLY TO THE MOTORCYCLE. THE SINGLE CRASH ALLEGATION HAS NOT BEEN CONFIRMED. OF THE TWO INJURIES, ONE OCCURRED WHEN THE SEPARATED MIRROR STRUCK THE OPERATOR. THE OTHER OCCURRED DURING THE UNCONFIRMED CRASH. SUBSEQUENTLY, HARLEY DAVIDSON NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT IT WAS RECALLING THE SUBJECT MOTORCYCLES TO ADDRESS THE "STEM" FAILURES.
About This Investigation Type
A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first phase of NHTSA's investigation process. It is opened when the agency identifies a potential safety defect pattern, usually triggered by consumer complaints, manufacturer reports, or field monitoring. During a PE, NHTSA gathers information to determine whether a formal engineering analysis is warranted.
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.