Investigations
Loss of Windshield Wiper Function
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE15005 - closed, opened 2015-02-27.
NHTSA investigation PE15005 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2015-02-27 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2016-03-26 - 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 PE15005 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: "On February 27th, 2015 the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE15-005) to investigate multiple incidents of windshield wiper electrical system failures on Stallion 900 series moto..." 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
On February 27th, 2015 the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE15-005) to investigate multiple incidents of windshield wiper electrical system failures on Stallion 900 series motor coaches manufactured by Stallion Bus and Transit Corporation. It was reported to ODI that wipers would stop operating when the wiper motor changed speeds, and would not function again until the bus is powered down and restarted. During the investigation, the manufacturer found that the 12 to 24 volt power converter in the subject vehicle's wiper system could erroneously shut off when the wiper speed is changed. An over-current or voltage protection circuit of the power converter is erroneously activated. To remedy this defect the manufacture is modifying the 12 volt power-up converter to have the over-current protection and the voltage protection removed from the Power Control Buss. All vehicles built after these units would use a power converter supplied by a different manufacturer, or a modified converter with the protection circuits disabled. With the recall action 16V-152 taken by Stallion this investigation is closed as further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted. The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID using the following complaint identification numbers: 10630768, 10631041, 10633220, 10633236, 10632428, 10633201, 10633222, 10631019, 10631028, 10632409, 10632414
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.