NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE09-002: HORTON FAN HUB FAILURES
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE09-002 on January 5, 2009 and closed it on May 29, 2009, the day it opened Engineering Analysis EA09-008, which this investigation's summary cites. NHTSA's investigations file lists 4 Peterbilt models for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE09-002 (also written PE09002)
- 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 29, 2009
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- PACCAR Incorporated
- Component
- Engine and Engine Cooling — Cooling System — Fan
- Vehicles and equipment
- 4 Peterbilt models, including the 379 and 379K
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 PE09-002.
THERE ARE 84,573 SUBJECT AND PEER (KENWORTH) VEHICLES.SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE MODEL YEAR 2007 THROUGH 2008 PACCAR TRUCKS BUILT WITH A HORTON FAN HUB ASSEMBLY.THE EA WILL INCLUDE PEER VEHICLES (KENWORTH'S WITH HORTON FAN HUBS) IN THE SUBJECT POPULATION.THERE ARE A TOTAL OF 1,645 WARRANTY CLAIMS ON THE COMBINED POPULATION.ODI SURVEYED WARRANTY CLAIM OWNERS AND FOUND THAT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF THE FAILURES RESULTED IN A DISABLED VEHICLE.ODI ALSO BELIEVES THAT CERTAIN MODELS ARE MORE PRONE TO FAILURE AND FURTHER ANALYSIS IS WARRANTED TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCES IN FAILURE RATES. ODI IS CONCERNED THAT A LARGE DISABLED VEHICLE IS AT AN INCREASED RISK OF BEING STRUCK IN THE REAR BY ANOTHER VEHICLE.ODI IS ALSO CONCERNED THAT THIS FAILURE MODE PROVIDES LITTLE WARNING AND THEREFORE, A DRIVER HAS LESS OPPORTUNITY TO REMOVE THE VEHICLE FROM THE TRAVEL LANES OR SHOULDER, ONCE A FAN SEPARATION HAS OCCURRED.ODI WILL CONDUCT FURTHER RISK ASSESSMENT DURING THE EA TO GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE WARNING, OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO THE DRIVER AND THE INCREASED RISK OF THE TRUCK BEING STRUCK IN THE EVENT OF A BREAKDOWN.NHTSA HAS UPGRADED PE09-002 TO AN EA (EA09-008) TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE09-002. 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 PE09-002
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.