Investigations
WHEEL SEPARATIONS
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE04051 - closed, opened 2004-07-22.
NHTSA investigation PE04051 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2004-07-22 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2004-11-23 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
A Preliminary Evaluation like PE04051 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: "WHEEL SEPARATIONS AT THOR INDUSRIES HAVE PREDOMINANTLY OCCURRED IN VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY KEYSTONE RV. KEYSTONE RV HAS REPORTED 110 SEPARATIONS OF STEEL WHEELS OF 64,727 (0.17%) AND 15 SEPARATIONS OF ALUMINUM WHEELS 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
WHEEL SEPARATIONS AT THOR INDUSRIES HAVE PREDOMINANTLY OCCURRED IN VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY KEYSTONE RV. KEYSTONE RV HAS REPORTED 110 SEPARATIONS OF STEEL WHEELS OF 64,727 (0.17%) AND 15 SEPARATIONS OF ALUMINUM WHEELS OF 6,984 PRODUCED (0.21%) IN RECREATIONAL VEHICLES MANUFACTURED SINCE MARCH 2003. OTHER DIVISIONS OF THOR INDUSTRIES, DUTCHMAN (4), THOR CALIFORNIA (0), THOR AMERICA (2), KOMFORT CORP (2), AND AIRSTREAM (14) HAVE REPORTED FEWER WHEEL SEPARATIONS OVER A BROADER TIME PERIOD (SINCE 2000) THAN KEYSTONE RV. SINCE A SIGNIFICANT MAJORITY (92%) OF THE WHEEL SEPARATIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THOR INDUSTRIES VEHICLES HAVE OCCURRED IN KEYSTONE RV VEHICLES, ODI WILL FOCUS INVESTIGATION ACTIVITY ON THESE PRODUCTS AND OPEN AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA) AT KEYSTONE RV TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE(S) FOR WHEEL SEPARATIONS.
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.