Investigations
WHEELCHAIR LIFT ARM FRACTURES
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE08022 - closed, opened 2008-03-26.
NHTSA investigation PE08022 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2008-03-26 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2008-07-29 - 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 PE08022 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 HAS RECEIVED ONE FLEET COMPLAINT IDENTIFYING 33 ALLEGED FAILURES ON THE SUBJECT WHEELCHAIR LIFTS. THE ALLEGED FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED ON SCHOOL BUSES IN TWO ALASKAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS. TH..." 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 HAS RECEIVED ONE FLEET COMPLAINT IDENTIFYING 33 ALLEGED FAILURES ON THE SUBJECT WHEELCHAIR LIFTS. THE ALLEGED FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED ON SCHOOL BUSES IN TWO ALASKAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THESE ALLEGATIONS DESCRIBE CRACKS DEVELOPING ON THE LIFTS' VERTICAL SUPPORT ARMS AT A PINNED JOINT WHERE A HORIZONTAL ARM INTERFACES WITH THE VERTICAL ARM. THE LIFTS ARE USED TO RAISE WHEELCHAIRS FROM THE STREET LEVEL TO ALLOW ENTRY INTO THE SCHOOL BUS. THESE BENT ARMS MAY CAUSE THREE POSSIBLE SAFETY CONCERNS. FIRST, THE BENT ARMS MAY PREVENT AN INBOARD BRIDGE FROM LAYING FLAT AND THUS PREVENT A WHEEL CHAIR FROM LOADING THE LIFT IN AN EMERGENCY. SECOND, BENT ARMS MAY CAUSE THE ANTI-STOW INTERLOCK SWITCH TO BECOME OUT OF ADJUSTMENT POSSIBLY ALLOWING THE LIFT TO START MOVING TO THE STOWED POSITION WHILE A CHAIR IS STILL ON THE PLATFORM. THIRD, THE BENT ARMS MAY ALSO CREATE A SITUATION WHERE THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 403 - S6.10.2.3 ARE NO LONGER MET. RICON FEELS THAT THE BENT ARMS ARE NOT A SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE THE OPERATOR WILL SEE THAT THE LIFT IS DAMAGED BEFORE A PASSENGER IS LOADED ONTO THE BUS. IF THE DRIVER SEES THAT THE LIFT IS DAMAGED, THEY SHOULD NOT LOAD A PASSENGER THAT WOULD THEN NEED TO BE UNLOADED IN AN EMERGENCY. THIS PE HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA) TO DETERMINE WHAT CAUSES THE ARMS TO FAIL, IF THE ARMS CAN FAIL WHILE THE LIFT IS IN A STOWED POSITION, AND IF A PASSENGER CAN BE LOADED WHILE THE LIFT IS IN A FAILED CONDITION.
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.