Investigations
Loss of air due to cracked wheel rim
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE15002 - closed, opened 2015-01-13.
NHTSA investigation PE15002 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2015-01-13 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2015-05-22 - 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 PE15002 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 opened PE15-002 based on field reports which reported multiple incidents of air loss in the subject steel wheels. Several of the field reports indicated failures early in the vehicles's service life when used on the..." 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 opened PE15-002 based on field reports which reported multiple incidents of air loss in the subject steel wheels. Several of the field reports indicated failures early in the vehicles's service life when used on the steer axle. Accuride identified the subject wheels of the field reports as model 50408 which has two hand holes and an acrylic e-coat finish . Multiple hand hole options and finishes were available from Accuride. Many purchasers selected the most economical finish option which was pretreat + e-coat. The more durable pretreat + e-coat + powder coat came at a premium price however proved to be significantly more durable. To create a more competitive and longer lasting product, Accuride has created an acrylic e-coat with an epoxy e-coat paint option and minimized its availability of pretreat + e-coat only option. A thorough review of the Information Request Response (IRR) identified two separate process conditions which contributed to some wheels loosing air pressure. A part failure in one of the welding machines was the root cause of pin holes in the butt weld. The other process issue involved the surface preparation for paint. Corrosion was evident on the tire side of the rim prior to the first tire change. Further study of the condition revealed that oxidation started below the paint. This indicated that the surface with not thoroughly cleaned and/or protected prior to paint being applied. ODI considered wheel position in its analysis of failures. The steer axle typically experiences more stress and carries a heavier load per wheel/tire than experienced in a dual wheel configuration found on the drive or trailer axles. However, wheel position is rarely identified in the failure reports. This made it impossible to definitively assign responsibility to any one wheel position. Furthermore, of the reports that did include position it was evident that multiple positions experienced failures. ODI reviewed warranty and complaint data as well as surveyed fle
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.
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