Investigations
CRACKED OR BROKEN WHEELS
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE05022 - closed, opened 2005-05-04.
NHTSA investigation PE05022 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2005-05-04 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2005-09-26 - 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 PE05022 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 RESPONSE TO THE PRODUCT FAILURES THAT PROMPTED ODI TO INITIATE INVESTIGATION PE05-022, KEYSTONE RV HAS FILED TWO DEFECT NOTICES (1) 05V-201 ON MAY 5, 2005 TO ADDRESS 174 MODEL YEAR 2006 CAMBRIDGE VEHICLES AND (2) 05V-..." 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 RESPONSE TO THE PRODUCT FAILURES THAT PROMPTED ODI TO INITIATE INVESTIGATION PE05-022, KEYSTONE RV HAS FILED TWO DEFECT NOTICES (1) 05V-201 ON MAY 5, 2005 TO ADDRESS 174 MODEL YEAR 2006 CAMBRIDGE VEHICLES AND (2) 05V-424 ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2005 TO ADDRESS 834 MODEL YEAR 2005 AND 2006 MOUNTAINEER, COUGAR, SPRINTER, AND TAIL-GATOR MODEL VEHICLES. BOTH CAMPAIGNS PROPOSE TO REPLACE CERTAIN 16" CHROME PLATED STEEL WHEELS THAT WERE INSTALLED AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT IN THESE VEHICLES. TREDIT TIRE, KEYSTONE RV'S SUPPLIER OF TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLIES, HAD INVESTIGATED THE REASONS FOR THE CRACKED AND BROKEN WHEELS, DETERMINED THE CAUSES, AND NOTIFIED KEYSTONE AND ODI (05E-051) OF THEIR FINDINGS IN AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2005. KEYSTONE RV HAS REPORTED FIVE INCIDENTS OF WHEEL CRACKS IN 2004 AND 2005 MODEL YEAR MONTANA BIG SKY FIFTH WHEEL VEHICLES. THESE REPORTS INDICATE THAT CERTAIN VEHICLES MANUFACTURED PRIOR TO MARCH 2005 MAY ALSO BE EXPERIENCING CRACKED, BROKEN, OR LEAKING WHEELS. ACCORDINGLY, ODI WILL EVALUATE WHETHER ADDITIONAL ACTIONS APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED FOR WHEELS INSTALLED IN KEYSTONE RV VEHICLES MANUFACTURED PRIOR TO MARCH 2005 AND NOT ADDRESSED BY CAMPAIGN O5V-201 OR 05V-424.
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.