Investigations
MISSING ELECT. PANEL MOUNTING HARDWARE
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE06035 - closed, opened 2006-09-05.
NHTSA investigation PE06035 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2006-09-05 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2006-12-19 - 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 PE06035 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 A FLEET VISIT WHERE THE ODI INVESTIGATOR OBSERVED AN ELECTRICAL PANEL THAT WAS DISLOCATED FROM ITS MOUNTING BRACKETS. FURTHER EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT TWO MOUNTING SCREWS WERE MISS..." 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 A FLEET VISIT WHERE THE ODI INVESTIGATOR OBSERVED AN ELECTRICAL PANEL THAT WAS DISLOCATED FROM ITS MOUNTING BRACKETS. FURTHER EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT TWO MOUNTING SCREWS WERE MISSING. THE PANEL CONSISTS OF A SERIES OF ELECTRICAL BREAKERS AND TWO HEAVY GAUGE ELECTRICAL CABLES THAT SUPPLY POWER TO THE PANEL AND OTHER ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS. ODI'S CONCERN WAS THAT IF A FULL SEPARATION OCCURRED, THE PANEL COULD SHORT OUT AND POSSIBLY CAUSE A VEHICLE FIRE IF IT WERE TO COME IN CONTACT WITH THE SURROUNDING METAL ENCLOSURE. AN INSPECTION OF FIVE ADDITIONAL BUSES REVEALED TWO WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND THIRTEEN WERE DISCLOSED BY THE DEALER AS BEING REPAIRED FOR LOOSE OR MISSING SCREWS. FREIGHTLINER CONTENDS THAT THEY HAVE RECEIVED ONLY ONE OTHER COMPLAINT FROM A FLEET OTHER THAN THE ONE IDENTIFIED BY ODI. THERE ARE NO REPORTS OF FIRES, SHORT CIRCUITS OR ELECTRICAL FAILURES. FREIGHTLINER WILL ISSUE A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN TO ALL DEALERS AND FLEETS ADDRESSING PROPER SECUREMENT OF THE SUBJECT PANEL. BASED ON FREIGHTLINER¿S DATA, AN EWR REVIEW AND FURTHER FIELD REVIEWS INTO THIS ISSUE, A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES ARE CURRENTLY UNWARRANTED. THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFTEY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS. THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION ON THE VEHICLES IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES. ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR FIELD REPORTS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION IF INDICATED.
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.