Investigations
OVERHEATED EXHAUST COMPONENTS
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE03048 - closed, opened 2003-10-17.
NHTSA investigation PE03048 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2003-10-17 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2004-02-06 - 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 PE03048 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: "ORION BUS IS UNAWARE OF ANY OTHER OWNER REPORTS OF EXHAUST SYSTEM FLEX PIPE FAILURES AND BELIEVES THAT THE REPORTED FAILURE IS A SINGLE, ISOLATED INCIDENT. THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FLEX PIPE STATED THAT THEY HAVE SOLD 250..." 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
ORION BUS IS UNAWARE OF ANY OTHER OWNER REPORTS OF EXHAUST SYSTEM FLEX PIPE FAILURES AND BELIEVES THAT THE REPORTED FAILURE IS A SINGLE, ISOLATED INCIDENT. THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FLEX PIPE STATED THAT THEY HAVE SOLD 250,OOO UNITS AND NO OTHER FAILURES HAVE BEEN REPORTED. THEY BELIEVE THE COMPLAINT VEHICLE WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. BASED ON ORION'S DATA, ODI FIELD WORK, AND THE LACK OF ANY OTHER IDENTIFED FAILURES, A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT TREND DOES NOT EXIST AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES ARE UNWARRANTED. THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXIST. THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION ON THE VEHICLES IN THE FUTURE IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES. ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR FIELD REPORTS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION IF INDICATED.
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.