NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Engineering Analysis EA04-033: WHEEL SEPARATIONS
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Engineering Analysis EA04-033 on December 20, 2004 and closed it on December 13, 2005. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2003 Pace American Commercial Trailers for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- EA04-033 (also written EA04033)
- Investigation type
- Engineering Analysis A more detailed stage of a defect investigation, opened when NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation decides an issue merits further review, often after a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query; it can include vehicle testing, surveys and further information requests.
- Status
- Closed December 13, 2005
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- PACE AMERICAN, INC.
- Component
- Wheels — Lugs/Nuts/Bolts/Studs
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2003 Pace American Commercial Trailers
A recall appears here only when NHTSA's investigations file links one to the investigation; NHTSA's summary or record can name others.
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Engineering Analysis EA04-033.
ON JANUARY 11, 2005, ODI INITIATED A MONITORING PROGRAM THAT REQUESTED PACE AMERICAN TO NOTIFY ODI OF ALL NEW WHEEL SEPARATION INCIDENTS.DURING THE APPROXIMATELY ELEVEN-MONTH REPORTING PERIOD, PACE AMERICAN HAS INFORMED ODI THAT NO ADDITIONAL WHEEL SEPARATION INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED IN MODEL YEAR 2003 VEHICLES THAT ARE THE SUBJECT OF THIS INVESTIGATION.DURING THIS REPORTING PERIOD, PACE REPORTED TWO INCIDENTS PERTAINING TO MODEL YEAR 2004 VEHICLES WHICH, WHEN COMBINED WITH ONE EARLIER REPORT OF A LOOSENED WHEEL, REPRESENT AN INCIDENT RATE OF 8 PER 100,000 VEHICLES FOR MY 2004 VEHICLES.PACE ALSO REPORTED EIGHT INCIDENTS PERTAINING TO MODEL YEAR 2005 VEHICLES, WHICH REPRESENT AN INCIDENT RATE OF 21 PER 100,000 VEHICLES. THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF WHEELS SEPARATIONS FROM ANY PACE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED SINCE MARCH 2005.
ON DECEMBER 12, 2005, PACE OUTLINED SEVERAL PLANNED OR COMPLETED ACTIONS INTENDED TO IMPROVE WHEEL RETENTION.ACCORDINGLY, ODI WILL CLOSE THIS INVESTIGATION BUT CONTINUE TO MONITOR WHEEL SEPARATIONS FOR ANOTHER TWELVE MONTHS.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Engineering Analysis EA04-033. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
Pace American
Pace American Commercial Trailers
- 2003
What an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Free VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for EA04-033
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.