NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE02-023: FAN DRIVE UPDATE
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE02-023 on February 12, 2002 and closed it on March 25, 2002. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 1996–2001 Thomas MVP ER for it and links recall 02V-085 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE02-023 (also written PE02023)
- 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 March 25, 2002
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- THOMAS BUILT BUSES, INC.
- Component
- Engine and Engine Cooling
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 02V-085: FREIGHTLINER/THOMAS BUILT/COOLING FAN, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 1996–2001 Thomas MVP ER
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE02-023.
IN OCTOBER 2001, THOMAS BUILT BUSES SENT OUT A VEHICLE OWNER NOTIFICATION (VON) TO BUS OWNERS OUTLINING PROCEDURES FOR THE PROPER ALIGNMENT AND REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE'S FAN DRIVE COMPONENTS.DIRECTIONS IN THE COMMUNICATION REQUIRE THAT THE IDLER PULLEY, BELT TENSIONER, AND THE FAN BELT WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED.PRESUMABLY, THIS ACTION WAS BEING RECOMMENDED TO ELIMINATE FAN BELT SEPARATIONS WHILE THE BUSES ARE IN SERVICE.A FAN BELT SEPARATION WOULD RESULT IN THE NGINE OVERHEATING AND ULTIMATELY STALLING.AS A RESULT OF THIS ACTION, ODI CONTACTED TWO FLEETS AND DETERMINED THAT THEY HAD SUFFERED DISABLED BUSES ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AS A RESULT OF A FAN BELT FAILURE.ON FEBRUARY 12, 2001, ODI OPENED THIE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION TO UNDERSTAND THE EXTENT OF THE FAILURES AND THE RATIONALE FOR CONDUCTING AN OWNER NOTIFICATION PROGRAM IN LIEU OF A SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN.ON MARCH 15, 2002, THOMAS BUILT FILED A DEFECT REPORT OUTLINING THEIR PLANS TO CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL TO NOTIFY THE REMAINING OWNERS AND REMEDY THE AFFECTED SCHOOL BUSES.THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE02-023. 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 PE02-023
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.