NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE11-006: Fuel Tank Straps Fail due to Corrosion

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE11-006 on February 28, 2011 and closed it on August 5, 2011. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2002 Pierce Lance for it and links recall 11V-384 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: PE11-006 (also written PE11006)
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 August 5, 2011
Opened: February 28, 2011
Closed: August 5, 2011
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer: Pierce Manufacturing
Components: Fuel System, Diesel; Fuel System, Diesel — Storage — Tank Assembly; Fuel System, Gasoline — Delivery — Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings; Fuel System, Gasoline — Storage — Tank Assembly; Fuel System, Gasoline — Storage — Tank Assembly — Mounting; Fuel System, Other; Fuel System, Other — Delivery — Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings; Fuel System, Other — Storage; Fuel System, Other — Storage — Tank Assembly; Fuel System, Other — Storage — Tank Assembly — Filling/Charging; Fuel System, Other — Storage — Tank Assembly — Mounting; Fuel System, Other — Storage — Tank Assembly — Pressure Relief Devices
Recall linked by NHTSA: 11V-384: FUEL TANK STRAP, reported July 26, 2011
Vehicles and equipment: 2002 Pierce Lance

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE11-006.

On February 28th 2011 the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE11-006) on certain Pierce fire trucks for fuel tank straps that fail due to corrosion; allowing the fuel the tank to drop from the vehicle.

Pierce determined that some fire trucks may be exposed to winter road de-icing chemicals. Over a period of time the fuel tank straps may corrode. This corrosion will weaken the fuel tank straps causing the strap(s) to fail/fracture and allow the fuel tank to separate from the vehicle. If the tank were to drop on the roadway while the vehicle was in motion, the vehicle may stall and lose power. In addition, other surrounding vehicles, trying to avoid the fire truck and or the loose fuel tank may lose control. The danger of a loose fuel tank, spilling its fuelonto the road is also a concern.

If either or both of these conditions were to take place, a crash could occur.

Pierce's safety recall (11V-385) is an inspect-and-repair campaign.

To reduce the risk of failed tank straps, Pierce is making available to all consumers stainless fuel tank straps upon an inspection of the existing ones.

If corrosion is found, Pierce will replace the old corrosion prone fuel straps with new stainless straps.

The vehicles included in this safety recall are: certain Arrow XT, Dash, Custom Contender, Lance, Enforcer, Pierce Arrow, Quantum, Saber & Commercial fire apparatus models manufactured between January 2, 1995 and January 21, 2008.

This Preliminary Evaluation is closed.

See NHTSA recall 11V-385.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE11-006. 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.

Pierce

Pierce Lance
- 2002

All Pierce 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 PE11-006

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.