NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE13-001: SmartPlex Multiplexer Module Failure
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE13-001 on January 15, 2013 and closed it on April 11, 2013. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2013 Freightliner Business Class M2 for it and links recall 13V-074 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE13-001 (also written PE13001)
- 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 April 11, 2013
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Daimler Trucks North America, LLC
- Components
- Electrical System; Equipment
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 13V-074: Smartplex Switch Hub Module, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2013 Freightliner Business Class M2
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE13-001.
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received Early Warning Reporting (EWR) data from the manufacturer that indicated some number of subject vehicles may allegedly experience a SmartPlex electronic multiplexing switch hub module failure. This failure may result in inadvertent activation of accessory equipment such as external lighting, outriggers, crane, or power takeoff.
By letter dated March 1, 2013, Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) notified ODI that it has initiated a safety recall (NHTSA Recall No. 13V-074 and DTNA Recall No. FL-639) to address a safety defect in approximately 161 model year (MY) 2012 through 2013 Freightliner 108SD, 114SD and Business Class M2 trucks.
The affected population was manufactured from December 3, 2011 through October 12, 2012 and originally equipped with a certain SmartPlex electronic multiplexing switch hub module with a suspect serial number. According to DTNA, unpassivated flux residue may be present on the printed circuit board assembly in the switch hub module. Under certain heat and humidity conditions, this flux residue may lead to intermittent short circuits, thereby activating certain outputs in the switch hub module.
According to DTNA, they identified the issue with the switch hub module on vehicles undergoing the assembly process.
DTNA states they have not received any customer or field reports related to the switch hub module.
To date, ODI is unaware of any switch hub module failures on in-service vehicles.
DTNA will notify affected owners by mail no later than April 29, 2013. Affected vehicles will be inspected and if the switch hub module is in the suspect range the module will be replaced.
Repairs will be performed by DTNA authorized service facilities.
Accordingly, this investigation is closed.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE13-001. 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
Freightliner Business Class M2
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 PE13-001
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.