NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Equipment Query EQ10-008: Caterpillar Engine Fuel Line Leak
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Equipment Query EQ10-008 on October 15, 2010 and closed it on November 22, 2010. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Caterpillar C7 for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- EQ10-008 (also written EQ10008)
- Investigation type
- Equipment Query An administrative investigation that reviews recall reports to confirm that the equipment suppliers and vehicle manufacturers involved in an equipment recall have filed the recall reports required of them.
- Status
- Closed November 22, 2010
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Caterpillar, Inc.
- Component
- Fuel System, Diesel
- Vehicles and equipment
- Caterpillar C7
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 Equipment Query EQ10-008.
On June 22, 2010, Caterpillar, Inc. reported that certain C7 diesel engines, manufactured between March 3, 2005 and January 6, 2009, contain two fuel lines that may develop a crack at the fastening point to the common fuel rail and cause a fuel leak.
A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, can result in a vehicle fire.
This issue was assigned recall number 10E-025.
On October 30, 2010 the Recall Management Division (RMD) mailed two Information Request (IR) letters to both General Motors (GM) and Kenworth Truck Company (Kenworth) as they were the only two manufacturers that had not yet filed subsequent safety recalls for their vehicles.
PACCAR, Kenworth's parent company, submitted a response on November 2, 2010 stating their recalled C7 engines were only used in prototype chassis that were not retailed to the public.
GM submitted their response to RMD on November 5, 2010 claiming they did not agree that an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety was present in their vehicles as a result of these recalled Caterpillar engines.
These C7 engines were installed into 356 Chevrolet and GMC C-Series Medium Duty Trucks.
GM stated that their underhood thermal safety team reviewed the situation on July 1, 2010 and concluded that a leak from the suspect pipe does not constitute a safety risk since no hot surfaces or ignition source is located near the potential leak.
GM stated that it only had one warranty claim for repair of a C7 engine fuel line with no comments as to the root cause and no reference to any safety concern.
GM also included a Powerpoint presentation from the company's safety analysis, which is included in the EQ repository.
However, GM did provide its VIN list of affected vehicles to Caterpillar so Caterpillar could proceed with their recall remedy.
GM's response will be forwarded to the Medium & Heavy Duty Vehicles Division for any further analysisThis EQ is closed.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Equipment Query EQ10-008. 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.
Caterpillar
Caterpillar C7
- model year not given
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 EQ10-008
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.