Investigations
FAILURE
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE87008 - closed, opened 1986-12-15.
NHTSA investigation PE87008 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 1986-12-15 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1987-04-15 - 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 PE87008 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: ROCKWELL REPORTED THAT MODELS TN& TQ TRAILER AXLES WERE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH NEWAY RC-122 SUSPENSION. LOADSIMPOSED UPON THOSE AXLES BY THE SUSPENSION WERE TOO GREAT FOR SUCCESSFUL..." 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: ROCKWELL REPORTED THAT MODELS TN& TQ TRAILER AXLES WERE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH NEWAY RC-122 SUSPENSION. LOADSIMPOSED UPON THOSE AXLES BY THE SUSPENSION WERE TOO GREAT FOR SUCCESSFULOPERATION DURING THE LIFE OF THE TRAILER. SIX FINAL STAGE MANUFACTURERSUTILIZING THE ABOVE COMBINATION CONDUCTED SAFETY RECALLS. FRUEHAUF ALSOCONDUCTED A SAFETY RECALL FOR SIMILAR REASONS. EATON CORPORATION NOWSTATES THAT THEY ARE ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND WILL SUBMIT AWARNING LETTER ON THIS SUBJECT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.ANALYSIS: SEVEN OF THE KNOWN MANUFACTURERS HAVE CONDUCTED APPROPRIATESAFETY RECALLS. TWO ADDITIONAL MANUFACTURERS ARE IN COMMUNICATION WITH THEOFFICE OF CHIEF COUNSEL. THREE OTHER MANUFACTURERS INVOLVED MAY BE OUT OFBUSINESS.PROPOSED ACTION: UPGRADE TO AN EA. EVALUATE EATON'S FORTHCOMING LETTER.===
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.