Investigations
WHEEL FAILURE
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE06050 - closed, opened 2006-11-09 and involving the NISSAN NISSAN.
NHTSA investigation PE06050 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2006-11-09 and currently closed. The subject of record is NISSAN NISSAN, which places this file inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue for NISSAN. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2007-04-09 - 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 PE06050 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: "THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED PE06-050 BASED ON TWO CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ALLEGING INCIDENTS OF WHEEL SEPARATION WHILE DRIVING DUE TO SPOKE FRACTURE. ONE OF THE INCIDENTS RESULTED IN A CRASH AND SERIOUS..." 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. Related NISSAN files, listed below, give context on whether this is an isolated concern or part of a broader pattern across the brand.
Investigation Summary
THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED PE06-050 BASED ON TWO CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ALLEGING INCIDENTS OF WHEEL SEPARATION WHILE DRIVING DUE TO SPOKE FRACTURE. ONE OF THE INCIDENTS RESULTED IN A CRASH AND SERIOUS INJURY WHEN THE SEPARATED WHEEL STRUCK A CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL OFFICER ON A MOTORCYCLE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. DURING PE06-050, ODI DETERMINED THAT BOTH INCIDENTS OF WHEEL SEPARATION INVOLVED NISSAN WHEELS THAT WERE SUBJECTED TO AN AFTERMARKET "RE-CHROMING" PROCESS. BOTH INCIDENTS OCCURRED IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. INFORMATION PROVIDED BY NISSAN SHOWED THAT PROBLEMS WITH "RE-CHROMED" WHEELS WERE CONCENTRATED ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY IN CALIFORNIA. NISSAN HAS ISSUED DEALER BULLETINS, MOST RECENTLY IN AUGUST 2006, WARNING AGAINST "RE-CHROMING" WHEELS BECAUSE THE PROCESS MAY DAMAGE WHEELS. NISSAN ALSO SUBMITTED COMPLAINTS AND WARRANTY CLAIMS CONCERNING CRACKED SPOKES IN ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT NISSAN ALLOY WHEELS. THESE CLAIMS AND COMPLAINTS WERE NOT CONCENTRATED IN ANY PARTICULAR GEOGRAPHIC REGION, BUT WERE FEW IN NUMBER. ACCORDING TO NISSAN, MOST OE ALLOY WHEELS WITH CRACKED SPOKES CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO IMPACT DAMAGE. THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA07-005) TO FURTHER ASSESS THE CAUSES OF SPOKE CRACKING IN ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT NISSAN WHEELS AND IN WHEELS SUBJECTED TO "RE-CHROMING" AND TO ASSESS THE RISK OF ADDITIONAL WHEEL SEPARATIONS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.
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.
Other NISSAN Investigations
Driver Airbag Inflator Rupture
Inner Tie Rod Failures
Side curtain air bags may deploy inadvertently
Reduced Power After Engine Stall
Loss of motive power due to broken crankshaft with no ability to restart.
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.