Investigations
Turbocharger Failure
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE12006 - closed, opened 2012-03-14.
NHTSA investigation PE12006 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2012-03-14 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2012-08-17 - 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 PE12006 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 (ODI) received a Product Improvement Program (10RG264) from John Deere in January 2011 concerning failed turbochargers on transit buses. This Product Improvement Program (PIP) was exclusive to their..." 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 (ODI) received a Product Improvement Program (10RG264) from John Deere in January 2011 concerning failed turbochargers on transit buses. This Product Improvement Program (PIP) was exclusive to their 8.1L compressed natural gas (CNG) engine. However, the PIP only covers transit busses in the state of California. John Deere indicated that in the event of a failure, the entire turbocharger was to be replaced as part of the repair. The ODI contacted consumers (supplied by the manufacture as complainants) and most described a condition that once the turbo failed, the vehicle became stranded. One consumer detailed a failure where the cab started to fill up with smoke while the vehicle was stalled, subsequently the turbo was on fire. The fire was eventually extinguished however the vehicle was stranded and needed to be towed. On June 11, 2012 ODI received John Deere's response to an ODI Information Request (IR) letter. From the responsive information it was determined that the risk of turbo fires as related to stalling/abandonment warranted an equipment safety recall. John Deere made ODI aware of 265 complaints and 22 possible vehicle fires for a population of approximately 3,500 vehicles. ODI notes that John Deere had not determined the exact number of affected vehicles, or a specific recall remedy at the closing of this investigation. However all vehicles (not just the vehicles located in California.) similarly configured and within the scope of this investigation will be recalled. This investigation is closed with John Deer's announcement of a safety recall. The Product Improvement Program cited above can be reviewed online at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/tsbs/ under the following NHTSA Item Number: 10034925. Updates on the recalled vehicle population and defect remedy can be viewed in the manufacture's 573 document online at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/recallsearch.cfm under the following NHTSA Campaign ID Number: 12V056 (use the Document
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.