NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE07-012: INADVERTENT DOOR CLOSING
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE07-012 on March 1, 2007 and closed it on June 25, 2007. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2005–2008 Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner C2 for it and links recall 07V-212 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE07-012 (also written PE07012)
- 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 June 25, 2007
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- FREIGHTLINER LLC
- Component
- Structure — Body — Door
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 07V-212: EXTERNAL WARNING LIGHTS MALFUNCTION, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2005–2008 Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner C2
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE07-012.
THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED BASED ON FOUR FLEETS CONTACTING ODI ALLEGING MULTIPLE EVENTS WHERE THE FRONT ENTRANCE DOOR UNEXPECTEDLY CLOSED WHILE LOADING AND DISCHARGING CHILDREN.WHEN THIS OCCURS, THE BUS WARNING LIGHTS (RED WARNING LAMPS AND STOP ARM LAMPS) ARE DE-ACTIVATED, SINCE THEY OPERATE OFF THE DOOR CONTROL.ODI ?S CONCERN WAS THAT CHILDREN MAY STILL BE CROSSING THE ROAD AND BE IN THE PATH OF TRAFFIC SHOULD THIS EVENT OCCUR.AS A RESULT OF THIS INVESTIGATION, FREIGHTLINER SUBMITTED A SAFETY RECALL TO REPAIR APPROXIMATELY 11,359 MODEL YEAR 2005 THROUGH 2008 SAF-T-LINERS.THIS RECALL COVERS THE ENTIRE MODEL C2 POPULATION, INTRODUCED BY THOMAS IN 2005.
ALL OWNERS (AND FLEETS) WILL BE NOTIFIED UPON THE FINAL VALIDATION OF A PERMANENT SOLUTION.FREIGHTLINER BELIEVES THAT THE PROBLEM STEMS FROM INCORRECT ELECTRICAL SIGNALS BEING SENT TO THE DOOR CONTROL MECHANISM. THIS WOULD CAUSE THE DOORS TO OPEN OR CLOSE UNEXPECTEDLY WITHOUT INPUT FROM THE DRIVER.FREIGHTLINER ESTIMATES THAT THE DEALERS WILL BE NOTIFIED APPROXIMATELY JULY 16, 2007. THIS RESOLVES THE ISSUE RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION. ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE07-012. 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.
Thomas Built Buses
All Thomas Built Buses 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 PE07-012
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.