NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE04-003: BRAKES FAIL TO RELEASE, BUS JACK-KNIFES
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE04-003 on January 8, 2004 and closed it on April 30, 2004. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 1996–2003 New Flyer D60HF for it and links recall 04V-042 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE04-003 (also written PE04003)
- 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, 2004
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturers
- New Flyer of America, Inc.; NEW FLYER OF AMERICA, INC.
- Component
- Service Brakes, Air
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 04V-042: NEW FLYER/WHEEL, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 1996–2003 New Flyer D60HF
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE04-003.
try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.
THIS INVESTIGATION WAS PROMPTED BY A TRANSIT FLEET, WHICH INFORMED ODI IN NOVEMBER, 2003, THAT THEY WERE EXPERIENCING BRAKE PROBLEMS ON THEIR HIGH FLOOR ARTICULATING STYLE BUSES.IN THE LETTER, THE FLEET STATED THAT THEY HAD EXPERIENCED OVER 50 INCIDENTS WHERE THE REAR BRAKES FAILED TO RELEASE DURING MORNING PULLOUT FROM THEIR PARKING LOCATION.THEY ALLEGED THAT THERE HAD BEEN THREE CRASHES RESULTING IN PROPERTY DAMGE AS THE RESULT OF THIS STICKING BRAKE PHENOMENON.THE CRASHES ORIGINATE WHEN THE MIDDLE AXLE BRAKES FAIL TO RELEASE AND THE REAR ENGINE VEHICLE PUSHES THE MIDDLE AXLE RESULTING IN A JACK-KNIFE CONDITION OF THE ARTICULATED BUS. AS A RESULT OF ODI'SINVESTIGATION, NEW FLYER HAS AGREED TO INITIATE A SAFETY RECALL AND CORRECT THIS CONDITION ON ALL AFFECTED BUSES.THE ACTION TAKEN BY NEW FLYER IS SUFFICIENT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION. A COPY OF THE RECALLIS ATTACHED.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE04-003. 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 PE04-003
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.