Investigations
Hydraulic Auxiliary Pump Fitting Failure
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE10041 - closed, opened 2010-10-20.
NHTSA investigation PE10041 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2010-10-20 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2010-11-09 - 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 PE10041 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 became aware of a fire involving a Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA) bus. A WMATA contracted vehicle inspection identified the failure of a tapped hydraulic fitting to have caused the fire. Orion VI bus..." 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 became aware of a fire involving a Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA) bus. A WMATA contracted vehicle inspection identified the failure of a tapped hydraulic fitting to have caused the fire. Orion VI buses were built from 1994 to 2002. This investigation is specific to 1995, 1997-2000 production. Daimler Bus informed ODI that 1994 & 1996 model year buses were either prototypes or sold only in Canada; buses built after 2000 had a tee fitting in lieu of the tapped fitting in question. On October 20, 2010 Daimler Bus informed ODI that an internal meeting was planned to discuss the same concern as the one that prompted this investigation. ODI agreed to delay formally requesting information; an IR letter was to be mailed on November 9, 2010 if needed. On November 2, 2010 ODI received a 573 Defect Report (Recall 10V-538) that addresses the concerns of this investigation. This investigation will be closed. There is no associated IR letter. A copy of the defect report is attached.
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.