Investigations
WHEEL SEPARATIONS
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE04058 - closed, opened 2004-08-09.
NHTSA investigation PE04058 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2004-08-09 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2004-12-20 - 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 PE04058 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 CONDUCTED THIS INVESTIGATION TO INVESTIGATE WHEEL SEPARATIONS OCCURRING IN CARGO TRAILERS. IN 2003, ODI IDENTIFIED A PROBLEM WITH WHEEL SEPARATIONS OCCURRING IN RECREATIONAL VEHICLES (EA04-009, EA04-019, EA04-032) AN..." 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 CONDUCTED THIS INVESTIGATION TO INVESTIGATE WHEEL SEPARATIONS OCCURRING IN CARGO TRAILERS. IN 2003, ODI IDENTIFIED A PROBLEM WITH WHEEL SEPARATIONS OCCURRING IN RECREATIONAL VEHICLES (EA04-009, EA04-019, EA04-032) AND, IN AUGUST 2004, EXTENDED THE INVESTIGATION ACTIVTY TO CARGO TRAILERS EQUIPPED WITH SIMILAR WHEEL END COMPONENTS AS THE RECREATIONAL VEHICLES THAT HAD EXPERIENCED WHEEL SEPARATIONS. PACE AMERICAN HAS PROVIDED INFORMATION TO ODI (4 INCIDENTS IN MODEL YEAR 2003 VEHICLES AND 1 INCIDENT IN MODEL YEAR 2004 VEHICLES) THAT INDICATES A SMALL BUT PERSISTENT NUMBER OF SEPARATION INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED IN PACE AMERICAN VEHICLES. THE OVERALL INCIDENT COUNT IS SMALL. HOWEVER, VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ALUMINUM WHEELS CONSTITUTE A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER SEPARATION RATE THAN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH STEEL WHEELS. ODI IS UPGRADING PE04-058 TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS TO REQUEST FURTHER INFORMATION FROM PACE AMERICAN. ODI WILL ALSO CLOSELY MONITOR THE WHEEL SEPARATION PERFORMANCE AT PACE AMERICAN FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.
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.