Investigations
ALLEGED FRAME FRACTURES
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE97020 - closed, opened 1997-05-14.
NHTSA investigation PE97020 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 1997-05-14 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1997-05-21 - 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 PE97020 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: "THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE OF AUSTIN, TX (AEMS) REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH THE FRAMES OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. THE FRAME IN THE AREA OF AN ADDITIONAL BODY MOUNT REPORTEDLY CRACKS AND COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO S..." 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
THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE OF AUSTIN, TX (AEMS) REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH THE FRAMES OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. THE FRAME IN THE AREA OF AN ADDITIONAL BODY MOUNT REPORTEDLY CRACKS AND COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO SHIFTING OF THE AMBULANCE BOX ON THE CHASSIS. BY LETTER DATED MAY 20, 1997, THE MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED NHTSA OF ITS PLANS TO RECALL ALL THE SUBJECT VEHICLE (ODI RECALL 97V-088). THE FRAMES OF ALL VEHICLES ARE BEING REPAIRED AND NEW AMBULANCE BOX MOUNTING BRACKETS ARE BEING INSTALLED ACCORDING TO FRAME REPAIR AND BODY MOUNTING PROCEDURES ENGINEERED BY FREIGHTLINER, THE MANUFACTURER OF THE VEHICLE CHASSIS.
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.