Investigations
Front suspension ball joint failure
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE15008 - closed, opened 2015-02-27.
NHTSA investigation PE15008 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 2015-11-20 - 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 PE15008 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 Preliminary Evaluation PE15-008 to investigate front steer wheel separations on 2004 model year Pierce fire trucks (manufactured with TAK-4 indepen..." 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 Preliminary Evaluation PE15-008 to investigate front steer wheel separations on 2004 model year Pierce fire trucks (manufactured with TAK-4 independent front suspensions ) caused by ball joint failures. The investigation was based on one steering related consumer complaint, three media reports alleging front steer wheel separation incidents, and a service bulletin outlining the maintenance requirements for the ball joints used in the TAK4 suspension. The consumer complaint (ODI #10671053), received on January 8th 2015, alleged a 2007 Pierce TAK-4 equipped fire truck "was not steering correctly". The three media reports of Pierce TAK-4 equipped fire trucks that experienced front steer wheel separation events included two in Baltimore, MD (July and August 2014) and a third in Anne Arundel County, MD (December 2014). The technical service bulletin (#355 issued 12/15/2014) was intended to be a reminder for subject vehicle owners to inspect their TAK-4 suspension and ball joints pursuant to Pierce’s published maintenance schedule. The bulletin outlined how improperly maintained subject ball joints could wear or become damaged during normal use and then potentially separate. A diagram of the TAK-4 front suspension (Figure 1) illustrates the location of both ball-joint assemblies on the suspension that connect the wheel spindles to the A-arm assemblies. (Continued on page 2)
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.