Investigations
FRAME FRACTURE/SUSPENSION COLLAPSE
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE08021 - closed, opened 2008-03-24.
NHTSA investigation PE08021 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2008-03-24 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2008-07-02 - 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 PE08021 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: "THIS PE WAS OPENED BASED ON OWNER COMPLAINTS, EWR FIELD REPORTS, AND WEB FORUM DISCUSSIONS ALLEGING THAT SOME MY 2006-2007 KAWASAKI ZX14 HIGH PERFORMANCE MOTORCYCLES' REAR SUSPENSION COLLAPSED DUE TO CROSSMEMBER FAILURE...." 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
THIS PE WAS OPENED BASED ON OWNER COMPLAINTS, EWR FIELD REPORTS, AND WEB FORUM DISCUSSIONS ALLEGING THAT SOME MY 2006-2007 KAWASAKI ZX14 HIGH PERFORMANCE MOTORCYCLES' REAR SUSPENSION COLLAPSED DUE TO CROSSMEMBER FAILURE. IN ITS RECALL FILING, KAWASAKI WROTE, "THE LOWER REAR ENGINE MOUNT HAS A THREADED COLLAR DESIGNED TO ELIMINATE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE FRAME AND THE ENGINE CASES BEFORE THE ENGINE MOUNTING BOLT IS TIGHTENED. ON SOME OF THE AFFECTED UNITS, THE COLLAR WAS TIGHTENED EXCESSIVELY, WHICH CREATED STRESS ACROSS THE LOWER CROSSMEMBER." KAWASAKI DEALERS ARE INSTRUCTED TO INSPECT THE AFFECTED UNITS AND INSTALL A NEW FRAME ON THOSE ZX14'S WITH SUSPECT CROSSMEMBERS. IN ITS OWNER NOTIFICATION LETTER, KAWASAKI CAUTIONS THAT A "FRAME REPLACEMENT MAY REQUIRE A FEW WEEKS DUE TO THE TIME REQUIRED TO PREPARE AND SHIP THE NEW FRAME AND LABELS WITH THE CORRECT VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER."
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.