Investigations
Seat Belt Buckle Inoperative
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE15004 - closed, opened 2015-02-03.
NHTSA investigation PE15004 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2015-02-03 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2015-05-27 - 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 PE15004 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) was in contact with a fleet that experienced multiple incidents of driver and passenger seatbelt buckle assemblies failing to unlatch. The seatbelts, manufactured by Taizhou TIAN..." 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) was in contact with a fleet that experienced multiple incidents of driver and passenger seatbelt buckle assemblies failing to unlatch. The seatbelts, manufactured by Taizhou TIANDA Rope and Belt Co, are original equipment on certain Stallion 900 motorcoaches. Preliminary evaluation suggested that two significantly different buckle assembly designs exist for a single part number 67RB1-04021. At the time of this investigation, failures appear to be limited to the earlier design. Shortly after opening this investigation, Taizhou Tianda Rope & Belt Co. Ltd decided to recall the earlier design buckles with safety recall 15E-016. An information request letter was not delivered before the recall was announced. Based on this action by the manufacturer, this investigation is closed. The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification (ODI) numbers: 10631019, 10632409, 10633199 and 10633213.
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.