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NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE12-018: Air Brake Reservoir Bracket Fracture

  • Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE12-018 on June 25, 2012 and closed it on September 20, 2012. NHTSA's investigations file lists 7 models from 3 makes for it and links recall 12V-405 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number
PE12-018 (also written PE12018)
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 September 20, 2012
Opened
Closed
Vehicle or equipment manufacturers
Daimler Trucks North America, LLC; FREIGHTLINER LLC
Component
Service Brakes, Air — Supply — Reservoir/Tank
Recall linked by NHTSA
  • 12V-405: Perpendicular Air Tank Mounting Brackets, reported
Vehicles and equipment
7 models from 3 makes, including the Freightliner 114SD and Freightliner Business Class M2

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE12-018.

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received Early Warning Reporting (EWR) data from the manufacturer that indicated some number of subject vehicles had allegedly experienced a fracture of one or more support brackets resulting in an unsecured air brake reservoir.

This could result in a loss of air pressure necessary for proper service brake application and a potential road hazard if the reservoir separates from the vehicle in operation.

By letter dated August 15, 2012, Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) has notified ODI that it has initiated a safety recall (identified by NTHSA Recall No. 12V-405 and DTNA Recall No. FL-631) to address a safety defect in approximately 1,663 model year (MY) 2009 through 2012 Freightliner 114SD, Business Class M2, Cascadia, Coronado, Sterling 9500 and Western Star 4700 trucks manufactured from July 7, 2008 through December 15, 2011, originally equipped with a specific perpendicular oriented air brake reservoir support bracket (P/N 12-22981-000).

To date ODI is unaware of any bracket failures that resulted in a complete separation of the reservoir from the vehicle.

Affected owners will be notified by DTNA beginning October 15, 2012 and affected vehicles will have the subject air brake reservoir support brackets replaced with a more robust bracket.

Repairs will be performed by DTNA authorized service facilities.

Copies of DTNA's reimbursement plan for pre-notification remedies will be submitted to ODI as a supplemental report when available.

Accordingly, this investigation is closed.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE12-018. 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.

Freightliner

All Freightliner recalls

Sterling

All Sterling recalls

Western Star

All Western Star 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 PE12-018

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.