Investigations
ELECTRICAL PANEL FIRES
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE06012 - closed, opened 2006-03-08.
NHTSA investigation PE06012 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2006-03-08 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2006-06-15 - 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 PE06012 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 FOUR ALLEGATIONS OF SCHOOL BUS FIRES IN THE POWER DISTRIBUTION MODULE (PDM) AREA OF THE SUBJECT BUSES. DURING THE INVESTIGATION, ODI LEARNED THAT BUSES BUILT BETWEEN OCTOBER 4, 2004..." 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 FOUR ALLEGATIONS OF SCHOOL BUS FIRES IN THE POWER DISTRIBUTION MODULE (PDM) AREA OF THE SUBJECT BUSES. DURING THE INVESTIGATION, ODI LEARNED THAT BUSES BUILT BETWEEN OCTOBER 4, 2004 AND FEBRUARY 14, 2006 WERE EQUIPPED WITH PDM¿S MANUFACTURED WITH COPPER CIRCUITS THAT WERE TOO THIN FOR THE ELECTRICAL LOADS ENCOUNTERED, CREATING OVERHEATING AND THERMAL EVENTS. ALSO, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT MULTIPLE THERMAL BREAKERS, CLUSTERED TOGETHER ON THE PDM, TOGETHER WITH HEAT GENERATED FROM THE PDM CAN GENERATE ENOUGH HEAT TO MELT THE PDM. ON APRIL 21, 2006, FREIGHTLINER FILED A SAFETY RECALL TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. FREIGHTLINER'S REMEDY IS TO REPLACE ALL THE ORIGINAL (THIN COPPER CIRCUIT) PDM¿S WITH NEW IMPROVED PDM¿S HAVING THICKER COPPER CIRCUITS. ALSO, FREIGHTLINER WILL REPLACE THE THERMAL BREAKERS WITH NON-THERMAL BREAKER OR FUSES. THE RECALL ACTION TAKEN BY FREIGHTLINER RESOLVES THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION. 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.