Investigations
SUSPENSION-FRAME CRACKS
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE05067 - closed, opened 2005-12-08.
NHTSA investigation PE05067 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2005-12-08 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2006-03-16 - 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 PE05067 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: "ODI DETERMINED THAT TWO SUBJECT TRAILERS EXPERIENCED COMPLETE FRAME SEPARATIONS. HEIL HAD INITIATED AN OWNER NOTIFICATION PROGRAM, WHICH PAID FOR THE COMPLETE REPAIR OF ALL SUBJECT TRAILERS. GIVEN THAT THE SUBJECT TRAILE..." 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
ODI DETERMINED THAT TWO SUBJECT TRAILERS EXPERIENCED COMPLETE FRAME SEPARATIONS. HEIL HAD INITIATED AN OWNER NOTIFICATION PROGRAM, WHICH PAID FOR THE COMPLETE REPAIR OF ALL SUBJECT TRAILERS. GIVEN THAT THE SUBJECT TRAILERS WERE FUEL TANKERS, ODI WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HEIL'S DECISION TO CONDUCT A FIELD ACTION IN LIEU OF A SAFETY RECALL. AFTER REVIEWING HEIL'S PRIOR RECALL HISTORY AND DISCUSSING THE FAILURES WITH INVOLVED FLEETS, ODI CONTACTED HEIL TO DISCUSS THE MATTER. DURING OUR DISCUSSION, THE SAFETY RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH A 6,000 GALLON GASOLINE TANKER SEPARATING FROM THE TOW BAR MECHANISM WERE DISCUSSED. AS A RESULT, HEIL DECIDED TO CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL.
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.