NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE10-048: Hitch Receiver Fracture
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE10-048 on December 7, 2010 and closed it on December 3, 2013. NHTSA's investigations file lists 13 Itasca models for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE10-048 (also written PE10048)
- 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 3, 2013
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Winnebago Industries, Inc.
- Component
- Trailer Hitches
- Vehicles and equipment
- 13 Itasca models, including the Cambria and Ellipse
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 PE10-048.
try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.
During this investigation, ODI identified 29 reports of cracked and/or fractured hitch receiver assemblies installed on the subject vehicles.
The majority (27 of 29) of the reported hitch incidents occurred prior to the initiation of PE10-048 in December, 2010.
This investigation has been characterized by (1) Scant forensic samples available for inspection and review since most of the reported incidents occurred prior to ODI?s investigation and pertinent material has been scrapped; (2) Uncertainty regarding the contributory role of issues such as unintended hitch contact with road surfaces, use of hitches with offsets that exceed Winnebago recommendations; and (3) Other usage factors.
Based on reported failures, the indicated failure rate for detected and reported cracking /fracture incidents associated with the estimated population of subject vehicles was found to be 0.10% after the vehicles had been in service for between 6 and 8 years.
Reports were higher in calendar year 2007 (9 reports) than in succeeding years 2008-2010 (3-5 reports per year) and 2011 (2 reports) and appear likely to decline further due to diminished use associated with vehicle aging.
ODI is aware of only one consumer complaint (ODI# 10368002) in its files describing a hitch receiver malfunction in Winnebago-Itasca vehicles.
As of September 2013, Winnebago has reported that there have been no additional incidents of cracked or fractured hitch receivers reported since the most recent incident reported in May 2011.
A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.
Accordingly, this investigation is closed.
The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.
The agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
For more detailed information, see the attached closing report.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE10-048. 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 PE10-048
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.