NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE09-021: SIDE WHEELCHAIR DOOR AJAR
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE09-021 on May 4, 2009 and closed it on August 7, 2009. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2009–2010 Thomas Built Buses EF for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE09-021 (also written PE09021)
- 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 August 7, 2009
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- FREIGHTLINER LLC
- Component
- Structure — Body — Door
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2009–2010 Thomas Built Buses EF
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 PE09-021.
THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED AFTER ODI LEARNED THAT DURING IN SERVICE INSPECTIONS CONDUCTED BY THE NEW YORK DOT, THEY IDENTIFIED BUSES ON WHICH THE SIDE WHEELCHAIR DOORWOULD BECOME AJAR DURING THE DRIVING PORTION OF THE INSPECTION.ALLEGEDLY, UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, WHEN THE DOOR BECOMES AJAR, THE SERVICE BRAKES APPLY AND THE BUS CANNOT BE MOVED UNTIL THE DRIVER GETS OUT OF THE BUS AND SECURES THE DOOR. DAIMLER STATES THAT THE ISSUE STEMS FROM A MISADJUSTED DOOR LATCH SWITCH WHICH RESULTS IN AN OVERLY SENSITIVE AND FALSE LATCH SIGNAL. THIS CONDITION WOULD CAUSE THE BUZZER IN THE DRIVER'S COMPARTMENT TO SOUND, BUT WOULD NOT CAUSE THE VEHICLE'S BRAKES TO BE APPLIED WHILE THE BUS IS BEING OPERATED.FIELD WORK SHOWS THE DOOR IS NOT ACTUALLY OPEN, RATHER IT IS IN A POSITION THAT WOULD ACTIVATE THE SWITCH AND SEND A FALSE DOOR AJAR WARNING. THIS WAS THE RESULT OF AN IMPROPERLY ADJUSTED DOOR LATCH INTERLOCK SWITCH.FIELD WORK ALSO SHOWS THAT THE BRAKES WILL NOT APPLY UNLESS THE DRIVER SHIFTS THE VEHICLE OUT OF DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL AND IS GOING LESS THAN 5 MILES PER HOUR.DAIMLER REPORTED THATALLDOORS AND SWITCHES ON THE NEW YORKFLEET HAVE BEEN INSPECTED AND ADJUSTED AS NEEDED. BASED ON DAIMLER'S DATA AND FURTHER REVIEW INTO THIS ISSUE, A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF THE AGENCY RESOURCES ARE NOT CURRENTLY WARRANTED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION ON THE VEHICLES IF WARRANTED.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE09-021. 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 PE09-021
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.