NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE08-023: WINDSHIELD WIPER REPLACEMENT PROGRAM
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE08-023 on March 26, 2008 and closed it on July 21, 2008. NHTSA's investigations file lists 3 Van Hool models for it and links recall 08V-237 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE08-023 (also written PE08023)
- 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 21, 2008
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturers
- Van Hool N.V.; VAN HOOL, N.V. (*)
- Component
- Visibility — Windshield Wiper/Washer
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 08V-237: WINDSHIELD WIPER REPLACEMENT PROGRAM/DOGA, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 3 Van Hool models, including the C2045 and T2140
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE08-023.
A JANUARY 2008 SERVICE BULLETIN SUGGESTS THAT CERTAIN MODEL BUSES SHOULD UPGRADE TO A HIGH TORQUE WIPER MOTOR.THE TSB ALSO ALLUDED TO WIPER MOTOR FAILURES. THEREFORE, ODI OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE THE FAILURE MODE, FREQUENCY AND SAFETY SIGNIFICANCE SINCE THE WIPER SYSTEM IS CONSIDERED TO BE A CRITICAL ITEM OF SAFETY EQUIPMENT AND IS REQUIRED BY A FEDERAL STANDARD. VAN HOOL RE-EVALUATED THE ISSUE AND DECIDED TO CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL. VAN HOOL DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE, BUT IT WAS AN ISSUE WITH IMPROPERLY FINISHED LINKAGE COMPONENTS THAT WERE CAUSING THE WIPER MOTOR TO FAIL. ALL WIPER MOTOR LINKAGES ON THE AFFECTED BUSES WILL BE REPLACED UNDER THE RECALL. THE RECALL ACTION RESOLVES THE ISSUES 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 PE08-023. 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 PE08-023
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.