Investigations
WHEEL SEPARATIONS
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE04059 - closed, opened 2004-08-12.
NHTSA investigation PE04059 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2004-08-12 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2005-01-13 - 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 PE04059 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: "IN 2003, ODI IDENTIFIED A PROBLEM WITH WHEEL SEPARATIONS OCCURRING IN RECREATIONAL VEHICLES (EA04-009, EA04-019). IN AUGUST 2004, ODI EXTENDED THE INVESTIGATION ACTIVITY TO INCLUDE CARGO TRAILERS THAT HAD BEEN EQUIPPED W..." 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
IN 2003, ODI IDENTIFIED A PROBLEM WITH WHEEL SEPARATIONS OCCURRING IN RECREATIONAL VEHICLES (EA04-009, EA04-019). IN AUGUST 2004, ODI EXTENDED THE INVESTIGATION ACTIVITY TO INCLUDE CARGO TRAILERS THAT HAD BEEN EQUIPPED WITH SIMILAR WHEEL END COMPONENTS AS THE RECREATIONAL VEHICLES THAT HAD EXPERIENCED WHEEL SEPARATIONS. HAULMARK HAS PROVIDED INFORMATION TO ODI THAT INDICATES A SMALL BUT PERSISTENT NUMBER OF SEPARATION INCIDENTS (ONE INCIDENT IN MODEL YEAR 2003 VEHICLES AND TWO INCIDENTS IN MODEL YEAR 2004 VEHICLES) HAVE OCCURRED IN HAULMARK VEHICLES. THE OVERALL INCIDENT COUNT IS SMALL. HOWEVER, ALL THREE OF THE WHEEL SEPARATIONS OCCURRED WITHIN THE 1,323 MODEL YEAR 2003-2004 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ALUMINUM WHEELS, WHEREAS NO WHEEL SEPARATIONS OCCURRED WITHIN THE 24,861 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH STEEL WHEELS. ODI IS UPGRADING PE04-059 TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS TO REQUEST FURTHER INFORMATION FROM HAULMARK. ODI WILL ALSO CLOSELY MONITOR THE WHEEL SEPARATION PERFORMANCE AT HAULMARK FOR THE NEXT TWELVE 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.