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NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE04-026: TURBOCHARGER FAILURE RESULTS IN FIRE

  • Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE04-026 on March 15, 2004 and closed it on July 29, 2004. NHTSA's investigations file lists 3 models from 2 makes for it and links 6 recalls to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number
PE04-026 (also written PE04026)
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 July 29, 2004
Opened
Closed
Vehicle or equipment manufacturers
DETROIT DIESEL CORP.; NEW CLOR, INC.
Component
Engine and Engine Cooling — Engine — Diesel
Recalls linked by NHTSA
  • 04V-486: ENGINE TURBOCHARGER/SERIES 40/DETROIT DIESEL, reported
  • 05V-026: ENGINE TURBOCHARGER/SERIES 50/DETROIT DIESEL, reported
  • 05V-045: ENGINE TURBOCHARGER/SERIES 50/DETROIT DIESEL, reported
  • 05V-290: ENGINE TURBOCHARGER/SERIES 50/DETROIT DIESEL, reported
  • 04E-051 (NHTSA record)
  • 04E-052 (NHTSA record)
Vehicles and equipment
3 models from 2 makes, including the Detroit Diesel Series 40 and Detroit Diesel Series 50

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE04-026.

try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.

THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATIONLEARNED OF 19 TRANSIT BUS FIRE ALLEGATIONS WHERE THEENGINE TURBOCHARGER WAS SUSPECTED AS BEING THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED TO OBTAIN SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON THE FIRE ALLEGATIONS AND GATHER TECHNICAL INFORMATION ON THE ENGINE/TURBOCHARGER COMBINATIONS USED ON THESE VEHICLES, AND TO UNDERSTAND THE INFLUENCE OF THE TURBOCHARGER AS A CATALYST FOR THE FIRES.DURING THE INVESTIGATION ODI EXMAMINED SEVERAL BUSES INVOLVED IN FIRES AND HAD A TECHNICAL MEETING WITH DETROIT OFFICIALS.AS A RESULT OF ODI'S INVESTIGATION, DETROIT HAS AGREED TO INITIATE TWO SEPARATE SAFETY RECALLS, EACH HAVING A DIFFERENT REMEDY, TO ADDRESS THE THERMAL EVENT CONCERNS.A COPY OF EACH RECALL IS ATTACHED. SEPARATE SAFETY RECALLS ARE BEING CONDUCTED ON THE TWO SERIES ENGINES, AS THE CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS ARE DIFFERENT FOR THE TWO APPLICATIONS.COPIES OF EACH RECALL ACTION ARE 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 PE04-026. 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.

Detroit Diesel

  • Detroit Diesel Series 40

    • 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001

  • Detroit Diesel Series 50

    • 1998, 1999

NFA

  • NFA H1

    • 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 PE04-026

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.