Investigations
SIDE ELECTRICAL FUSE PANEL FIRES
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE07029 - closed, opened 2007-06-20.
NHTSA investigation PE07029 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2007-06-20 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2007-11-29 - 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 PE07029 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 THIS INVESTIGATION AFTER BECOMING AWARE OF TWO SCHOOL BUS FIRES THAT STARTED IN THE SIDE MOUNTED ELECTRICAL FUSE PANEL ON A PAIR OF THOMAS BUILT SCHOOL BUSES. THE FLEET OW..." 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
THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION AFTER BECOMING AWARE OF TWO SCHOOL BUS FIRES THAT STARTED IN THE SIDE MOUNTED ELECTRICAL FUSE PANEL ON A PAIR OF THOMAS BUILT SCHOOL BUSES. THE FLEET OWNER HAD REPORTED THE BUS INTERIORS FILLED WITH SMOKE, CERTAIN ELECTRICAL DEVICES BECAME INOPERATIVE, AND THE BUSES STALLED. THE TWO BUSES INVOLVED IN THE FIRE INCIDENTS HAVE CONSECUTIVE VIN NUMBERS AND THE FIRES WERE SIMILAR, BUT NOT IDENTICAL TO A PREVIOUS RECALL (06V-136) CONDUCTED BY THOMAS BUILT. THESE BUSES WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRIOR RECALL, WHICH INVOLVED A DEFECTIVE POWER DISTRIBUTION MODULE (PDM). AFTER FURTHER TECHNICAL EVALUATION, FREIGHTLINER DECIDED THEY WOULD CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL TO CORRECT DEFICIENCIES IN THE PREVIOUS RECALL AND ALSO EXPAND THE POPULATION TO CAPTURE ALL AFFECTED BUSES. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION FREIGHTLINER PLANS TO TAKE WILL BE FORWARDED TO ODI WHEN AVAILABLE. ACCORDINGLY, 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.