Investigations
Trailer tire may contact floor
NHTSA Recall Query RQ14004 - closed, opened 2014-09-10.
NHTSA investigation RQ14004 is a Recall Query opened on 2014-09-10 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2015-07-09 - 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 Recall Query like RQ14004 evaluates whether a previously issued recall is actually fixing the problem. NHTSA opens an RQ when owners continue to report the original defect after the recall remedy is installed, or when completion rates fall short of the agency's expectations for that risk tier.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "ODI opened RQ14-004 based on 3 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) which reported a condition similar to recall 13V-554. This recall addressed insufficient clearance between the tire and trailer floor. The condition was..." 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
ODI opened RQ14-004 based on 3 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) which reported a condition similar to recall 13V-554. This recall addressed insufficient clearance between the tire and trailer floor. The condition was due to a frame supplier change which resulted in reduced clearance between the top of the tire and the bottom of the wheel well Of the three VOQs reported in the opening resume two were not included in recall 13V-554 and one was. Both of the vehicles not included used a different frame than the recalled trailers. Upon thorough examination of the condition experienced by the owners it was found that neither unit exhibited insufficient tire clearance between the bottom of the floor and top of the tire. Forest River's initial Information Request Response (IRR) submission did not adequately address all the questions asked by ODI. Following a meeting with Forest River personnel on March 20, 2015 an IRR was submitted on May 22, 2015, which satisfied ODI. This submission is included in the public repository. When asked how Forest River identified the recall population they used a production change to determine the start and end dates. On February 3, 2012 Forest River introduced a new frame. The engineering drawings used to launch this new frame failed to identify the frame rail height. Furthermore, Forest River failed to verify that the new frame rail height was the same as the one it replaced. This created a half inch reduction in clearance. This issue was not identified and remedied until February 4, 2013 which is the end of the recall population. A thorough review of the complaint and warranty information received during this investigation was preformed. After removing claims that could be associated with recall 13V-554 a defect trend was not identified on the remaining population. The only crash which also included an injury could not be positively associated with the alleged defect. This investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does n
About This Investigation Type
A Recall Query (RQ) evaluates the effectiveness of a previously issued recall. NHTSA opens an RQ when consumer complaints suggest that a recall remedy may not be adequately addressing the safety issue, or when the recall completion rate appears insufficient.
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.
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