Investigations
FIFTH WHEEL KINPIN BOX FAILURE
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE03041 - closed, opened 2003-09-02.
NHTSA investigation PE03041 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2003-09-02 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2003-11-25 - 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 PE03041 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: "THIS INVESTIGATION WAS PROMPTED BY AN OWNER WHO ALLEGED THAT HIS TRAILER'S FIFTH WHEEL KING PIN BOX HAD CRACKED, ALLOWING THE TRAILER TO COLLAPSE DOWNWARD ONTO THE BED OF HIS TOW VEHICLE. NUWAY REPORTED THAT THEY ONLY OF..." 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
THIS INVESTIGATION WAS PROMPTED BY AN OWNER WHO ALLEGED THAT HIS TRAILER'S FIFTH WHEEL KING PIN BOX HAD CRACKED, ALLOWING THE TRAILER TO COLLAPSE DOWNWARD ONTO THE BED OF HIS TOW VEHICLE. NUWAY REPORTED THAT THEY ONLY OFFERED THE EXTENDED FIFTH WHEEL OPTION ON SIX SNOWBIRD TRAILERS BUILT BETWEEN 1997 AND 2000. THE OPTION WAS DISCONTINUED ON THE 2001 MODEL. AS A RESULT OF THE AGENCY'S INVESTIGATION INTO THIS MATTER, NUWAY IS CONDUCTING A SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN WHERE THEY WILL INSPECT AND REPAIR ALL SIX TRAILERS. A COPY OF THE RECALL IS ATTACHED. ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.
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.