NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE11-003: Wheel Stud Fracture
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE11-003 on January 21, 2011 and closed it on July 26, 2011, the day it opened Engineering Analysis EA11-009, which this investigation's summary cites. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan for it and links recall 11V-574 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE11-003 (also written PE11003)
- 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 July 26, 2011
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Ford Motor Company
- Component
- Wheels — Lugs/Nuts/Bolts/Studs
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 11V-574: FRACTURE WHEEL STUDS, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE11-003.
On January 21, 2011, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE11-003) to investigate alleged wheel stud fractures in certain model year (MY) 2010 Ford Fusion vehicles.
ODI sent the manufacturer an information request letter dated February 8, 2011 and Ford responded by letter dated March 25, 2011.
Ford provided a supplemental response by letter dated July 15, 2011.
To date, ODI is aware of 29 complaints related to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles, which now include certain MY2010 Mercury Milan vehicles that are the same or substantially similar to the subject Ford Fusion vehicles in regards to the alleged defect.
In total, ODI is aware of 4 reported wheel separation incidents related to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles.
The manufacturer's investigation into the root cause of the alleged defect is ongoing.
Accordingly, this investigation has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA11-009) to further study the alleged defect.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE11-003. 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.
Ford
Ford Fusion
Mercury
Mercury Milan
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 PE11-003
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.