NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE09-050: REAR SPRING TRAILING ARM BOLT LOOSE
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE09-050 on October 7, 2009 and closed it on January 7, 2010. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2008–2011 Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner C2 for it and links recall 09V-458 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE09-050 (also written PE09050)
- 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 January 7, 2010
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- FREIGHTLINER LLC
- Component
- Suspension — Rear — Springs — Leaf Spring Assembly — Hanger/Bracket
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 09V-458: REAR SUSPENSION FASTENERS, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2008–2011 Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner C2
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE09-050.
try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.
THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED AFTER ODI WAS INFORMED BY TWO SCHOOL BUS FLEETS THAT THEY HAD FOUND LOOSE BOLTS ON THE REAR SUSPENSION TRAILING ARMS OF THE AIR RIDE SUSPENSION ON SEVERAL OF THEIR BUSES. ODI VISITED THE LOCAL DEALER AND CONFIRMED THE LOOSE BOLTS.IF THESE BOLTS FAIL AND SEPARATE, THE REAR SUSPENSION CAN SHIFT, ALLOWING THE REAR END HOUSING TO MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARD.THIS COULD HAVE A DETRIMENTAL IMPACT ON VEHICLE CONTROL.IN LATE NOVEMBER2009, DAIMLERFILED A SAFETY RECALL (09V-458) OUTLINING THEIRREMEDY PROGRAM.DAIMLER WILL INSPECT AND TORQUE ALL THE REAR SUSPENSION FASTENERS AS NEEDED.A COPY OF THE RECALL NOTIFICATION IS ATTACHED. THE ACTION TAKEN BY DAIMLER RESOLVES 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 PE09-050. 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 PE09-050
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.