Investigations
STEER AXLE HUB FAILURE
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE86068 - closed, opened 1986-07-29.
NHTSA investigation PE86068 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 1986-07-29 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1986-09-04 - 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 PE86068 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: "SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER: IN THEIR OCTOBER, 1982, RESPONSETO THIS OFFICE, PACCAR STATED, "... TESTING AND ANALYSIS INDICATED APROJECTED LIFE OF OVER ONE MILLION MILES (1,000,000) WHEN OPERATED ATRATED LOA..." 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
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER: IN THEIR OCTOBER, 1982, RESPONSETO THIS OFFICE, PACCAR STATED, "... TESTING AND ANALYSIS INDICATED APROJECTED LIFE OF OVER ONE MILLION MILES (1,000,000) WHEN OPERATED ATRATED LOAD UNDER USUAL AND CUSTOMARY CONDITIONS."ANALYSIS: THE HUB APPEARS TO BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO FATIGUE FAILURE ESPECIALLYUNDER HEAVY BRAKING, CORNERING AND ROUGH ROAD CONDITIONS. ALTHOUGH NOSAFETY TREND WAS IDENTIFIED DURING THE ORIGINAL INVESTIGATION, IT ISAPPARENT THAT FATIGUE FAILURES ARE OCCURRING. THE CANADIAN MINISTRY OFTRANSPORT REPORTS 25 RECENT COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE. PREVIOUS INFORMATIONSHOWS THAT FATIGUE FAILURES DID NOT OCCUR IN THE PREVIOUS DESIGNED HUB,OR THE REAR DESIGN HUB. PRESUMABLY ALL THREE HUBS ARE SUBJECTED TO THESAME TYPES OF DYNAMIC LOADING, YET THE K150-D-202 HUB APPARENTLY FAILS ATA HIGHER RATE THAN THE OTHER TWO.PROPOSED ACTION: OPEN A PE. SEND AN IR FOR UPDATED STATISTICS ON THISALLEGED PROBLEM.
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.