Investigations
INADVERTENT SLIDE-OUT EXTENSION MOVEMENT
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE06005 - closed, opened 2006-01-20.
NHTSA investigation PE06005 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2006-01-20 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2006-05-02 - 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 PE06005 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 BASED ON ODI'S RECEIPT OF A CONGRESSIONAL LETTER ON BEHALF OF A CONSTITUENT. THE CONSTITUENT REPORTED INCIDENTS WHERE THE "SLIDE OUT" ROOM OF HIS MOTOR HOME WOULD INADVERTENTLY MOVE (EXTEND)..." 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 BASED ON ODI'S RECEIPT OF A CONGRESSIONAL LETTER ON BEHALF OF A CONSTITUENT. THE CONSTITUENT REPORTED INCIDENTS WHERE THE "SLIDE OUT" ROOM OF HIS MOTOR HOME WOULD INADVERTENTLY MOVE (EXTEND) DURING HIGHWAY USE. ODI WAS CONCERNED THAT A FULLY EXTENDED SLIDE OUT WOULD DEGRADE THE VEHICLE'S DYNAMIC HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS AND/OR POSSIBLY IMPACT AN OBJECT OR ANOTHER VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A CRASH. ODI CONTACTED FLEETWOOD AND DISCOVERED THAT SLIDE OUT ROOMS WERE INSTALLED IN MOTOR HOMES, TRAVEL TRAILERS AND FOLDING TRAILERS. AS PART OF THE INVESTIGATION ODI VISITED A RV SHOW AND THE FLEETWOOD PAXINOS PLANT TO EXAMINE "SLIDE OUTS" IN VARIOUS NEW MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLES AND GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE SYSTEMS WORK. DURING THE INVESTIGATION ODI LEARNED THAT THERE ARE TWO METHODS USED TO EXTEND SLIDE OUT ROOMS. SOME MANUFACTURERS USE HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS AND OTHERS, SUCH AS FLEETWOOD, USE AN ELECTRIC MOTOR. (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.