NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE10-002: Driveshaft Failure
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE10-002 on January 19, 2010 and closed it on March 25, 2010. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Sutphen SPH 100 and Chassis for it and links recall 10V-071 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE10-002 (also written PE10002)
- 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 March 25, 2010
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturers
- Sutphen Corporation; SUTPHEN CORP.
- Component
- Power Train — Driveline — Driveshaft
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 10V-071: DRIVELINE U-JOINT FAILURE, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- Sutphen SPH 100 and Chassis
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE10-002.
This investigation was opened after ODI was notified by a fire rescue authority that they had multiple driveshaft failures on four of their fire trucks. Allegedly, one driveshaft was ejected from the truck as it was being driven on the highway at a high rate of speed. Sutphen conducted an engineering evaluation and then decided to conduct a safety recall.
They will: a.modify the cross members on the pre-2007 vehicles; b.conduct driveshaft re-phasing on the post-2007 vehicles; and c.replace the frame cross members.
The action taken by Sutphen 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 PE10-002. 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 PE10-002
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.