Investigations
LOWER CONTROL ARM FAILURE
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE87056 - closed, opened 1987-09-08.
NHTSA investigation PE87056 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 1987-09-08 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1987-11-06 - 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 PE87056 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: MANUFACTURER IS IN RECEIPT OFONE COMPLAINT AND FIVE FIELD REPORTS. PRODUCT REPORT ANALYSIS STATES "THELOWER CONTROL ARM FROM WAGGONER CORPORATION APPEARS TO HAVE A SMALL RADIUSAT..." 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: MANUFACTURER IS IN RECEIPT OFONE COMPLAINT AND FIVE FIELD REPORTS. PRODUCT REPORT ANALYSIS STATES "THELOWER CONTROL ARM FROM WAGGONER CORPORATION APPEARS TO HAVE A SMALL RADIUSAT THE TRANSITION OF THE SIDE WALL TO THE BALL STUD NOSE. CURRENT STAMPINGSOURCE, S.K.D., ALSO HAS A SMALL RADIUS IN THE SAME AREA. S.K.D. HASCHANGED THE TRIM TO INCREASE THE RADIUS TO 1 INCH AND PROVIDE ADDITIONALSTRENGTH IN THE BALL STUD AREA."ANALYSIS: DATA INDICATES 38 OF 40 FAILURES INVOLVE THE LEFT CONTROL ARM,39 OF THE VEHICLES ARE POWERED BY THE DIESEL ENGINE. ALL FAILURES HAVEOCCURRED AT LOW SPEEDS, OR HAVE BEEN LOCATED DURING INCREASED FREQUENCYMAINTENANCE INSPECTIONS. SEPARATION OF THE BALL JOINT FROM THE CONTROLARM COULD CAUSE ONE SIDE OF THE FRONT WHEEL SUSPENSION TO COLLAPSE,POSSIBLY RESULTING IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.PROPOSED ACTION: UPGRADE THIS PE TO AN EA.===
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.