Investigations
XZA 295/60/R22.5 Steer Tire Failures
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE14031 - closed, opened 2014-10-06.
NHTSA investigation PE14031 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2014-10-06 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2015-02-28 - 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 PE14031 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 (ODI) opened this investigation based on seven (7) Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ) and a Police Accident Report (PAR) alleging failures of Michelin XZA tires. The PAR reported an au..." 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 (ODI) opened this investigation based on seven (7) Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ) and a Police Accident Report (PAR) alleging failures of Michelin XZA tires. The PAR reported an auto hauler left the roadway and rolled onto it's side and losing some of it's load. Fortunately, the driver was unharmed and no other vehicles were involved. ODI received ten (10) additional VOQs during the investigation. The VOQs included both 295/60/R22.5 and 275/70/R22.5 tire sizes. ODI focused on the 295/60 tires as they were specified as original equipment on many auto hauler trucks. Due to their unique loading configuration, auto haulers tend to place a high demand on front tires. The 295/60 has a maximum load and speed rating of 7,390 pounds and 65 mph when maintained at 130 psi (cold) inflation pressure on a 9" rim. Pressure below 130 psi reduces the maximum load and Michelin only approves mounting the 295/60 on a 9 inch rim. While physically possible, mounting on any other size rim compromises the integrity of the 295/60 tire. Alternately, the maximum speed can be raised to 75 mph when the tire is mounted on a 9" rim with 130 psi pressure and the load does not exceed 7,150 pounds. During the investigation, ODI collected and analyzed vehicle, crash, and tire information. In addition to sending an Information Request (IR) letter to Michelin, ODI collected information from several vehicle manufacturers. Electronic data from the subject crash vehicle showed the vehicle was traveling in excess of 75 mph when the tire failure occurred. Michelin investigated all subject tire failure claims they were aware of. In each case the failure could be explained by one of the following: (1) violating the interdependency of tire load, inflation pressure and vehicle speed, (2) misapplication of rim vs. tire size or (3) a road hazard. Some fleets assumed there was a defect with the 295/60 tires and used the 275/70 instead. Michelin does not approve mounting a 27
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.