NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE12-008: Engine compartment fires
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE12-008 on March 22, 2012 and closed it on October 11, 2012. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2007–2010 International 3200 for it and links recall 12V-479 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE12-008 (also written PE12008)
- 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 October 11, 2012
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Navistar, Inc.
- Component
- Parking Brake
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 12V-479: Parking Brake may Apply Itself, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2007–2010 International 3200
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE12-008.
ODI became aware of three bus fires that originated in the area of the transmission on the subject vehicles through media reports.
Inspection of the vehicles indicated that the static parking brake, which is located behind the transmission, may have been applied as a result of an air leak while the vehicles were in motion.
Under certain driving conditions, the parking brake can apply without the audible driver warning engaging.
Parking brake application while the vehicle is in motion may result in a fire.
To address the concerns of this investigation, Navistar has issued a recall (12V-479) that will add a switch to detect parking brake lever movement while the vehicle is in motion (in addition to the existing switch that monitors brake line air pressure) and set an additional warning light to warn the driver of application of the parking brake.
Navistar's recall actions address the issues raised by this investigation and as a result this investigation is closed.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE12-008. 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.
International
All International recallsWhat 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 PE12-008
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.