NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE05-044: LOOSE AXLE HARDWARE
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE05-044 on August 17, 2005 and closed it on October 19, 2005. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2003–2005 4-Star Trailers Horse Trailer for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE05-044 (also written PE05044)
- 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 October 19, 2005
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- 4-Star Trailers, Inc.
- Component
- Suspension — Rear
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2003–2005 4-Star Trailers Horse Trailer
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 Preliminary Evaluation PE05-044.
try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.
ODI DISCOVERED THIS PROBLEM DURING A SERVICE BULLETIN REVIEW.ON JULY 21, 2005, 4-STAR FORWARDED ODI A COPY OF A SERVICE LETTER RECENTLY SENT TO THEIR DEALERS AND OWNERS ADVISING THEM OF THE IMMEDIATE NEED TO INSPECT AND RETORQUE THE MOUNTING BRACKET BOLTS ON THE AXLE SUSPENSION.A LINE TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM WHEN HE NOTICED THAT THE BOLTS INSTALLED ON THE AXLE WERE NOT APPROPRIATELY TORQUED. ODI'S INVESTIGATION PROMPTED 4-STAR TO FURTHER EXAMINE THE AXLE CONFIGURATION AND ITS ATTACHING HARWARE.4-STAR HAS NOW CONCLUDED THAT THE SERVICE BULLETIN WAS ERRONEOUS FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: STARTING WITH THE FIRST PRODUCTION TRAILER, A BRACE BAR WAS WELDED TO THE TRAILER'S FRAME TO ADD STABILITY TO THE FLOOR OF THE TRAILER.THE BAR WAS THEN BOLTED TO BRACKETS WITH LOCK NUTS AND THE BRACKETS WERE THEN WELDED TO THE AXLES.THEREFORE, THE ADDED STRENGTH SUPPLIED BY THE WELDS MAKES THE AMOUNT OF TORQUE IRRELEVANT.AT ODI'S REQUEST,4-STAR PROVIDED DATA AND EXAMINED TRAILERS FROM EACH MODEL YEAR AND PROVIDED DOCUMENTATION THAT SUPPORTS THEIR CLAIM.( CONTINUES ON PAGE 2)
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE05-044. 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.
4-Star Trailers
All 4-Star Trailers recallsWhat 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 PE05-044
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.