Investigations
LIFT ASSISSTED CARGO DOORS
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE07061 - closed, opened 2007-11-30.
NHTSA investigation PE07061 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2007-11-30 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2008-03-24 - 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 PE07061 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 INVESTIGATON WITH A SINGLE COMPLAINT, VOQ 10192456. DURING THE INVESTIGATION, NEWMAR IDENTIFIED ONE ADDITIONAL OWNER COMPLAINT ON A SUBJECT VEHICLE (POPULATION 2,431). NEWMAR ALSO IDENTIFIED ONE COMPLAINT..." 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 INVESTIGATON WITH A SINGLE COMPLAINT, VOQ 10192456. DURING THE INVESTIGATION, NEWMAR IDENTIFIED ONE ADDITIONAL OWNER COMPLAINT ON A SUBJECT VEHICLE (POPULATION 2,431). NEWMAR ALSO IDENTIFIED ONE COMPLAINT PERTAINING TO A MODEL YEAR 2006 VEHICLE (OF 1,567 MFD) IN WHICH A LIFT ASSISTED CARGO DOOR IN A MOVING VEHICLE HAD REPORTEDLY OPENED (OR BEEN LEFT IN THE OPEN POSITION BY THE OPERATOR) TO THE NEAR HORIZONTAL POSITION AND THE PROTRUDING RIGHT REAR CARGO DOOR HAD CONTACTED A HIGHWAY GUARDRAIL WHICH SHEARED THE CARGO DOOR FROM THE VEHICLE. NEWMAR HAS ADVISED ODI THAT INADVERTANT OPENING OF HORIZONTALLY HINGED CARGO DOORS WILL BECOME LESS FREQUENT BECAUSE NEWMAR VEHICLES MANUFACTURED IN MORE RECENT YEARS ARE EQUIPPED WITH VERTICALLY HINGED CARGO DOORS (WHICH ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH A LIFT ASSIST FEATURE). ODI IS CLOSING THIS INVESTIGATION DUE TO A LOW NUMBER OF FAILURES, BUT HAS IMPLEMENTED A ONE-YEAR MONITORING PROGRAM AT NEWMAR THAT REQUIRES NEWMAR TO INFORM ODI WHEN ANY ADDITIONAL INCIDENTS OF INADVERTANT CARGO DOOR OPENINGS ARE REPORTED SO THE AGENCY CAN RESPOND WITH THE APPROPORIATE ACTION IF, AND WHEN , NEW INCIDENTS ARE REPORTED.
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.