NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE09-023: EMERGENCY WINDOW HANDLES BREAK
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE09-023 on May 6, 2009 and closed it on August 5, 2009. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2010 Thomas Built Buses EF for it and links recall 09V-287 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE09-023 (also written PE09023)
- 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 5, 2009
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- FREIGHTLINER LLC
- Component
- Structure
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 09V-287: EMERGENCT EXIT PUSH-OUT WINDOWS, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2010 Thomas Built Buses EF
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE09-023.
THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED AFTER ODI WAS INFORMED BY THE NEW YORK STATE DOT THAT HANDLES ON THE SIDE EMERGENCY PUSH OUT WINDOWS WERE BEING SNAPPED OFF AS PERSONNEL WERE PERFORMING TRANSIT BUS INSPECTIONS. DAIMLER'S INTERNAL INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT BUSES BUILT FROM OCTOBER 30, 2008 TO MARCH 25, 2009 HAD ASSEMBLY LINE PERSONNEL UNFAMILIAR WITH THE CORRECT WINDOW INSTALLATION PROCEDURES.THESE BUSES HAD WINDOWS INSTALLED WITHOUT PROPER SHIMMING, POTENTIALLY RESULTING IN BINDING OF THE WINDOW WHEN ATTEMPTING TO OPEN.DAIMLER HAS FILED A SAFETY RECALL TO INSPECT ALL AFFECTED BUSES AND WILL INSTALL SHIMS AS REQUIRED, ENSURING PROPER OPERATION OF THE WINDOW. THE ACTION TAKEN BY DAIMLER 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 PE09-023. 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.
Thomas Built Buses
Thomas Built Buses EF
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 PE09-023
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.