Investigations
MOTORCYCLE TRAILER FENDER SEPARATION
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE07003 - closed, opened 2007-01-24.
NHTSA investigation PE07003 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2007-01-24 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2007-03-12 - 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 PE07003 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: "SINCE OPENING THIS PE, ODI HAS INTERVIEWED THE TWO OWNERS IDENTIFIED IN THE OPENING RESUME, CONFIRMING THAT ONLY ONE HAD RELATED FENDER FAILURES. HIS TRAILER, BUILT IN FEBRUARY 2004 AND PURCHASED IN APRIL ¿04, SUSTAINED..." 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
SINCE OPENING THIS PE, ODI HAS INTERVIEWED THE TWO OWNERS IDENTIFIED IN THE OPENING RESUME, CONFIRMING THAT ONLY ONE HAD RELATED FENDER FAILURES. HIS TRAILER, BUILT IN FEBRUARY 2004 AND PURCHASED IN APRIL ¿04, SUSTAINED TWO FENDER SUPPORT EVENTS. THE FIRST OCCURRED IN MAY ¿06 INVOLVING THE LEFT FENDER. THEN, IN SEPT ¿06, THE RIGHT FENDER SUPPORT FAILED. WE MET WITH THAT TRAILER OWNER, INSPECTED HIS TRAILER AND BOTH THE FAILED AND REMEDY PARTS. WE ALSO MET WITH JANCO AT ITS ASSEMBLY FACILITY, OBTAINING ITS RESPONSE TO OUR INQUIRY AND INSPECTING BOTH THE CURRENT AND FORMER TRAILER DESIGNS WHILE DISCUSSING THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THIS CASE. WE VISITED A LOCAL (D.C.) DEALER WHERE WE INSPECTED CURRENT 110 ST TRAILERS AS WELL. WE ALSO SURVEYED FOUR JANCO TRAILER DEALERS AND 31 SUBJECT TRAILER OWNERS FINDING NO OTHER REPORTS OF FENDER SUPPORT CRACKING AND/OR BREAKAGE. THUS, IN THE ABSENCE OF A SAFETY DEFECT TREND, WE ARE CLOSING THIS PE. THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS AND WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED.
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.