Investigations
SEAT BRACKET FAILURE
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE05018 - closed, opened 2005-04-21.
NHTSA investigation PE05018 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2005-04-21 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2005-08-05 - 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 PE05018 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 NOTIFICATION FROM A NEW YORK CITY BUS FLEET OF A MARCH 25, 2004 INCIDENT WHERE A SEAT COLLASPED ON A TRANSIT BUS SENDING TWO PASSENGERS TO THE FLOOR, RESULTING IN ONE INJURY. AN INSPEC..." 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 NOTIFICATION FROM A NEW YORK CITY BUS FLEET OF A MARCH 25, 2004 INCIDENT WHERE A SEAT COLLASPED ON A TRANSIT BUS SENDING TWO PASSENGERS TO THE FLOOR, RESULTING IN ONE INJURY. AN INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THERE ARE TWO SEAT DESIGNS INSTALLED IN THE BUSES. SEAT DESIGN ¿A¿ SUFFERED THE FAILURE WHERE THE PASSENGERS FELL TO THE FLOOR. AN EXAMINATION OF THIS SEAT DESIGN REVEALED THAT THE SEATS WERE NOT PROPERLY SECURED TO THE WALL MOUNTING BRACKETS AND THEREFORE LOST THEIR RIGIDITY AND STABLILTY ALLOWING THE COLLAPSE. THIS PROBLEM IS DEEMED TO BE MAINTENANCE RELATED. FLEET PERSONNEL FURTHER STATED THAT AFTER EXAMINING THE REMAINING BUSES IN THE FLEET, 259 SEAT BRACKETS ON 223 BUSES WERE DISCOVERED TO HAVE SOME QUANTITY OF FRAME CRACKS. THE "CRACKED" SEAT DESIGN IS DESIGNATED AS SEAT FRAME ¿B.¿ THE MAJORITY OF THE CRACKED SEATS (¿B¿) ARE LOCATED JUST FORWARD OF THE EXIT DOOR ON THE CURB SIDE OF THE BUS. THESE BUSES ARE A RELATIVELY LOW POPULATION VEHICLE, HAVING BEEN BUILT ONLY IN 1998 AND 2002 MODEL YEARS. THE BUSES ARE DIFFERENT FROM MOST IN THAT THEY WERE SPECIFIED WITH ¿HIGH FLOORS.¿ (SUMMARY CONTINUED ON PAGE 2)
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.