NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE08-011: TRAILER LIGHT PLUG FAILURE
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE08-011 on February 8, 2008 and closed it on May 5, 2008. NHTSA's investigations file lists 6 Kenworth models for it and links recall 08V-190 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE08-011 (also written PE08011)
- 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 May 5, 2008
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- PACCAR Incorporated
- Components
- Electrical System; Exterior Lighting
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 08V-190: TRAILER CABLE CONNECTION, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 6 Kenworth models, including the C500 and T300
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE08-011.
try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.
THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF KENWORTH PRODUCTS BASED ON THEIR FIELD COMMUNICATION TIB # 34-31.
KENWORTH INTRODUCED THE QCS II STA-DRY TRAILER CABLE IN MAY 2006.
THE TECHNICAL INFORMATION BULLETIN STEMMED FROM FIELD FEEDBACK THAT INDICATED A FLEXIBILITY PROBLEM WITH THE QCS II CABLE CONNECTION, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF LIGHTING TO THE TRAILER.ODI BELIEVES A LOSS OF LIGHTING WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE TRAILER'S VISIBILITY. FURTHER, THE RESULTING LOSS OF BRAKE LIGHTS IS INHERENTLY CRITICAL TO HIGHWAY SAFETY, DAY OR NIGHT.KENWORTH HAS UPGRADED THE TIB REPAIR TO A SAFETY RECALL.KENWORTH DEALERS WILL INSTALL A REINFORCEMENT BRACKET BETWEEN THE BACK OF THE QCS II MOLDED BOOT AND THE FRAME BRACKET, THUS PROVIDING ABETTER CABLE CONNECTION. THE DEFECT NOTIFICATION WAS SUBMITTED ON 4/25/08 (COPY ATTACHED).
TRAILERS BUILT BETWEEN MAY 24 AND NOVEMBER 21, 2006 (MODEL YEAR 2007 TRAILERS) WILL BE REMEDIED.THE POPULATION TO BE REMEDIED IS 3,573 IN THE UNITED STATES.THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE08-011. 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 PE08-011
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.