Investigations
DETERIORATING EXHAUST THERMAL BLANKET
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE04071 - closed, opened 2004-10-13.
NHTSA investigation PE04071 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2004-10-13 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2005-01-25 - 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 PE04071 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: "THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED AFTER ODI VISITED A TRANSIT FLEET FACILITY AND NOTICED A BUS THAT HAD EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF OTHER BUSES INDICATED THAT THE EXHAUST SYSTEM THERMAL BLA..." 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
THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED AFTER ODI VISITED A TRANSIT FLEET FACILITY AND NOTICED A BUS THAT HAD EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF OTHER BUSES INDICATED THAT THE EXHAUST SYSTEM THERMAL BLANKETS WERE DETERIORATING AND MAY HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE THERMAL EVENT. AS A RESULT OF ODI¿S INVESTIGATION, ORION HAS AGREED TO CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL TO REPLACE THE THERMAL BLANKETS WITH BLANKETS HAVING A HIGHER THERMAL RATING AND DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A SLIP-OVERLAP FIT BETWEEN THE THREE BLANKETS. THIS ALLOWS MAXIMUM COVERAGE OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEM BY THE THERMAL BLANKETS. A COPY OF THE RECALL IS ATTACHED. ORION'S PROPOSED ACTION RESOLVES THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION. ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.
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.