Investigations
LOWER SIDEWALL BULGE
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE09015 - closed, opened 2009-03-05.
NHTSA investigation PE09015 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2009-03-05 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2009-07-17 - 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 PE09015 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: "ON MARCH 5, 2009, ODI OPENED PRELIMINARY EVALUATION PE09-015 TO INVESTIGATE LOWER SIDEWALL BULGES IN KONA CLT LT215/85R16 TIRES. THE TIRES WERE IMPORTED INTO THE UNITED STATES BY AMERICAN OMNI TRADING COMPANY (AOTC) OF H..." 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
ON MARCH 5, 2009, ODI OPENED PRELIMINARY EVALUATION PE09-015 TO INVESTIGATE LOWER SIDEWALL BULGES IN KONA CLT LT215/85R16 TIRES. THE TIRES WERE IMPORTED INTO THE UNITED STATES BY AMERICAN OMNI TRADING COMPANY (AOTC) OF HOUSTON TEXAS AND ARE MANUFACTURED BY THE SHANGDONG YONGTAI CHEMICAL GROUP COMPANY IN SHANDONG PROVINCE, CHINA. THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) HAS RECEIVED 2 VEHICLE OWNER COMPLAINTS DESCRIBING PROBLEMS WITH A TOTAL OF 17 TIRES THAT WERE REMOVED FROM SERVICE BECAUSE OF SEVERE SIDEWALL BULGES THAT FORMED BETWEEN THE TIRE BEAD AND THE LOWER SIDEWALL. ANALYSIS OF TIRE ADJUSTMENT DATA PROVIDED BY AOTC INDICATES THAT MOST CLAIMS INVOLVED TIRES WITH A VISIBLE SIDEWALL SEPARATION OR OUT OF BALANCE CONDITION. IN MANY INSTANCES THIS OCCURRED WITHIN A FEW MONTHS OF SERVICE. ACCORDING TO AMERICAN OMNI, PRODUCTION OF THE SUBJECT TIRES WAS STOPPED IN OCTOBER 2008. THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA09-012) TO FURTHER ASSESS THE SCOPE, FREQUENCY AND SAFETY CONSEQUENCES OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT TIRE.
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.