Investigations
SEAT TRACK CORROSION
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE07020 - closed, opened 2007-04-19.
NHTSA investigation PE07020 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2007-04-19 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2007-08-06 - 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 PE07020 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: "ODI OPENED THIS PE AFTER RECEIVING THREE ALLEGATIONS OF SEAT TRACK CORROSION DISCOVERED BY FLEETS WHILE PERFORMING PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE. SINCE OPENING THIS INVESTIGATION, ODI HAS VISITED THE FLEETS, INSPECTED SUBJECT..." 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
ODI OPENED THIS PE AFTER RECEIVING THREE ALLEGATIONS OF SEAT TRACK CORROSION DISCOVERED BY FLEETS WHILE PERFORMING PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE. SINCE OPENING THIS INVESTIGATION, ODI HAS VISITED THE FLEETS, INSPECTED SUBJECT BUSES, INTERVIEWED SHOP PERSONNEL, REVIEWED BLUE BIRD'S RESPONSE TO OUR INFORMATION REQUEST. AND CONDUCTED A JOINT EVALUATION OF A COMPLAINT VEHICLE'S CONFORMANCE TO FMVSS 571.222, SCHOOL BUS SEATING AND CRASH PROTECTION. THE TESTING WAS CONDUCTED AT THE VEHICLE RESEARCH & TEST CENTER, AND A BLUE BIRD BODY COMPANY TEST ENGINEER WAS IN ATTENDANCE. BASED ON THESE ACTIONS, NO SAFETY RELATED DEFECT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND THIS PE IS CLOSED. 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. NEVERTHELESS, BLUE BIRD HAS DECIDED TO MAIL "NON-SAFETY" OWNER LETTERS TO THE SUBJECT BUS OWNERS ADVISING THEM TO INSPECT THE ALUMINUM SEAT TRACKS ON A REGULAR BASIS AND TO MAKE ANY NECESSARY REPAIR/REPLACEMENT.
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.