Investigations
TRANSMISSION LOCKUP
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE04057 - closed, opened 2004-08-03.
NHTSA investigation PE04057 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2004-08-03 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2005-02-02 - 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 PE04057 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: "ODI OPENED THIS PE BASED ON OWNER ALLEGATIONS THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING, SPONTANEOUSLY DOWNSHIFT AND/OR LOCKUP. SINCE OPENING THIS PE, WE HAVE INTERVIEWED REPORTING OWNERS, TEST-RIDDEN SUBJ..." 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
ODI OPENED THIS PE BASED ON OWNER ALLEGATIONS THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING, SPONTANEOUSLY DOWNSHIFT AND/OR LOCKUP. SINCE OPENING THIS PE, WE HAVE INTERVIEWED REPORTING OWNERS, TEST-RIDDEN SUBJECT MOTORCYCLES, MET WITH VICTORY MOTORCYCLE DEALERS AND REVIEWED POLARIS' RESPONSE TO OUR INQUIRY. BASED ON THE INFORMATION GATHERED, WE FIND THAT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ARE QUITE PREVALENT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AND ARE CONTINUING. COMMONLY, OWNERS FIRST NOTE DEGRADED SHIFT PERFORMANCE (TYPICALLY FALSE NEUTRALS ON THE 2-3 UPSHIFTS, DIFFICULTLY FINDING NEUTRAL, HARSH 3-2 DOWNSHIFTS, ETC.) DEALERS TELL OWNERS THAT DEGRADED SHIFT PERFORMANCE IS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY (BASIC AND EXTENDED), BUT THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO DISSASSEMBLE THE TRANSMISSION TO LEARN MORE. HOWEVER, OWNERS ARE ALSO TOLD THAT IF NO TRANSMISSION PROBLEM IS FOUND, THE OWNER WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THE TRANSMISSION DISASSEMBLY. UNWILLING TO TAKE A CHANCE THAT NOTHING WILL BE FOUND (BASED ON DEALERS' CLAIMS THAT SHIFT DIFFICULTIES ARE DUE TO DEFICIENT OWNER OPERATION), OWNERS KEEP RIDING WITH SHIFT QUALITY ISSUES. IN SOME CASES, OWNERS CONTACT THE DEALER AGAIN WITH THE SAME RESULT. FINALLY, SHIFT QUALITY BECOMES SO POOR THAT SPONTANEOUS, UNINTENDED 3-2 DOWNSHIFTS OCCUR AND/OR THE TRANSMISSION (AND AS A RESULT, THE REAR WHEEL) LOCKS UP. AS RECENTLY AS LAST WEEK, POLARIS WAS OFFERING TO REPLACE A TRANSMISSION WITH THE MY 2003 VERSION, WHICH IS MADE BY A DIFFERENT SUPPLIER. THIS OFFER WAS/IS CONTINGENT UPON THE OWNERS PAYING LABOR CHARGES OF APPROXIMATELY $500-$700. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND POLARIS' RESPONSES TO IT, WE ARE UPGRADING THIS INVESTIGATION TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS.
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.