NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE01-039: REAR SUSPENSION COLLAPSE
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE01-039 on November 21, 2001 and closed it on April 30, 2002. NHTSA's investigations file lists 3 Indian models for it and links recall 02V-124 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE01-039 (also written PE01039)
- Investigation type
- Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
- Status
- Closed April 30, 2002
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Indian Motorcycle Company
- Component
- Suspension
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 02V-124: INDIAN MOTORCYCLE/SHOCK ABSORBER, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 3 Indian models, including the Chief and Scout
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE01-039.
SIX MANUFACTURER INCIDENTS OF BROKEN REAR SUSPENSION SHOCK ABSORBER MOUNTING BRACKETS AND FORTY-TWO OF BROKEN SHOCK BOLTS.THE ORIGINAL SWAY-AWAY REAR SHOCK ABSORBERS (IDENTIFIED BY A BLACK HOUSING) ARE NOT ADEQUATE FOR THE SUBJECT BIKES' GVWR.SHOCK BOTTOMING (I.E., COIL BIND) CONSEQUENTLY OCCURS AT THE UPPER RANGE OF THE MACHINE'S WEIGHT CARRYING CAPACITY AND THE RESULTING LOADS BREAK THE SHOCK MOUNTING BRACKETS AND/OR BOLTS.INDIAN IS RECALLING THE SUBJECT MOTORCYCLES TO INSTALL SHOCK ABSORBERS FROM PROGRESSIVE SUSPENSION.THE PROGRESSIVES HAVE A GREATER LOAD CARRYING CAPABILTY AND MAY BE IDENTIFIED BY THE GOLD COLOR.WITH INDIAN'S RECALL, ODI IS CLOSING THIS PE.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE01-039. 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.
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 PE01-039
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.