Investigations
SCHOOL BUS STALLS
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE05028 - closed, opened 2005-05-25.
NHTSA investigation PE05028 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2005-05-25 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2005-09-27 - 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 PE05028 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 RECEIVED A COMPLAINT FROM A SCHOOL BUS FLEET REPORTING THAT THREE SEPARATE BUSES HAD STALLED UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE THEY WERE LOADED WITH CHILDREN. REPORTEDLY, EACH TIME THE FAILURE OC..." 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 RECEIVED A COMPLAINT FROM A SCHOOL BUS FLEET REPORTING THAT THREE SEPARATE BUSES HAD STALLED UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE THEY WERE LOADED WITH CHILDREN. REPORTEDLY, EACH TIME THE FAILURE OCCURRED THE MASTER BATTERY SHUT-OFF SWITCH WAS IDENTIFIED AS BEING DEFECTIVE. ODI OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION TO GATHER SPECIFIC INFORMATION AND DETAILS INTO THESE ALLEGATIONS. AS A RESULT OF ODI¿S INVESTIGATION, BLUE BIRD HAS AGREED TO INITATE A SAFETY RECALL TO REPLACE THE STANDARD NUT ON THE 10/32 STUD WITH A LOCKING NUT, CHECK FOR PROPER WIRING INSTALLATION , AND REPOSITION THE WIRES SO THAT THEY DO NOT STRESS THE STUD. A COPY OF THE RECALL IS ATTACHED. BLUE BIRD'S ACTION RESOLVES THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION AND THEREFORE, 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.