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NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE10-029: Driveshaft separates from tractor

  • Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE10-029 on August 2, 2010 and closed it on December 23, 2010. NHTSA's investigations file lists 17 models from 2 makes for it and links recall 10V-634 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number
PE10-029 (also written PE10029)
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 December 23, 2010
Opened
Closed
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
PACCAR Incorporated
Component
Power Train — Driveline — Driveshaft
Recall linked by NHTSA
  • 10V-634: KENWORTH/PETERBILT/INTERAXLE DRIVELINE FAILURES, reported
Vehicles and equipment
17 models from 2 makes, including the Kenworth T600 and Kenworth T660

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE10-029.

try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.

SummaryOn July 13, 2010, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened an investigation on model year (MY) 2007-2009 Peterbilt tractors equipped with the (SPL170XL extended lube inter-axle driveline).

ODI opened this investigation based on one Vehicle Owners Questionnaire (VOQ) and certain Peterbilt field reports.

During the course of the investigation, ODI reviewed PACCAR's IR (October 22, 2010) response with associated data related to Warranty and complaint information, mined field data, interviewed customers and visited local dealers within the Washington Metropolitan area.

PACCARconducted testing regarding torsional loading and identified various causative factors contributed to this safety defect finding.

The Defect is a consequence of the bearing surfaces of the SPL170XL extended lube universal joint that attaches the inter-axle driveline to the drive axle becoming prematurely worn due to a breakdown of lubrication and/or excessive heat.

Prematurely worn bearing surfaces may result in the u-joint becoming loose and/or binding.

This condition may result in universal joint failure, allowing the inter-axle driveline to detach from the axle, which may cause the drive shaft to separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of personal injury or property damage hazard.

ODI learned that the affected population of the alleged defect extended to peer models within PACCAR.In summary, the following vehicles are being recalled: MY 2007 and 2008 Kenworth trucks, models T600, T660, T2000, T800 and W900 and MY 2007/2008 Peterbilt trucks, models357, 378, 379, 385, 386, 387, 388, and 389 allequipped with extended lube inter-axle drivelines manufactured by Dana Corporation.

The recall affects vehicles manufactured between February 2, 2006 and April 30, 2007.

At this time PACCAR has not yet identified a fix for the inner-axle safety defect and is currently conducting testing with the intent to provide a solution to the failure.

ODI will monitor the development of PACCARS testing and ensure a timely repair for the consumer.

This investigation is closed.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE10-029. 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.

Kenworth

All Kenworth recalls

Peterbilt

All Peterbilt recalls

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 PE10-029

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.