Investigations
HYDRAULIC BRAKE HOSE CHAFING/LEAKING
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE08038 - closed, opened 2008-06-04.
NHTSA investigation PE08038 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2008-06-04 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2008-08-04 - 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 PE08038 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: "IN APRIL, 2008, ODI RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL ALLEGING THAT THEIR FIELD INSPECTORS WERE FINDING HYDRAULIC BRAKE HOSES THAT WERE BEING CUT OR CRUSHED BY THE SHARP EDGES OF THE BUS BODY AT 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
IN APRIL, 2008, ODI RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL ALLEGING THAT THEIR FIELD INSPECTORS WERE FINDING HYDRAULIC BRAKE HOSES THAT WERE BEING CUT OR CRUSHED BY THE SHARP EDGES OF THE BUS BODY AT THE FIREWALL. THEY ALSO SUPPLIED INFORMATION ON ONE BUS THAT EXPERIENCED TOTAL BRAKE LOSS DUE TO THE BRAKE HOSE BEING CUT. FURTHER FIELD WORK BY ODI INCREASED THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS TO A TOTAL OF SEVEN. AFTER DISCUSSIONS WITH ODI AND FURTHER REVIEW OF FIELD INCIDENTS, BLUE BIRD HAS DECIDED TO INITIATE A SAFETY RECALL TO INSPECT, REPLACE AND OR REPOSITION THE BRAKE HOSES OF CONCERN. THIS RECALL ACTION RESOLVES THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION. 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.