NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE13-019: Loose Mounting Straps and Stuck Valves
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE13-019 on June 6, 2013 and closed it on June 12, 2014. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Agility Fuel Systems CNG Fuel Tank and Young DO CNG Fuel Containervalve for it and links recalls 14E-025 and 14E-026 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE13-019 (also written PE13019)
- 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 June 12, 2014
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturers
- Agility Fuel Solutions; Young Do Industrial Co., Ltd.
- Components
- Fuel System, Other — Delivery — Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings; Fuel System, Other — Storage — Tank Assembly; Fuel System, Other — Storage — Tank Assembly — Mounting
- Recalls linked by NHTSA
- 14E-025 (NHTSA record)
- 14E-026 (NHTSA record)
- Vehicles and equipment
- Agility Fuel Systems CNG Fuel Tank and Young DO CNG Fuel Containervalve
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE13-019.
By letters dated May 16, 2014, Agility Fuel Systems, Inc. (Agility) has notified the agency that it is conducting two safety recalls (NHTSA Recall No. 14E-025 and 14E-026) to address safety defects in certain compressed natural gas (CNG) equipment sold for use in certain heavy-duty truck applications.
Safety recall 14E-025 addresses potentially defective CNG fuel container manual shutoff/ isolation valves manufactured by Young Do Industrial Co., Ltd. (Young Do).
Approximately 462 vehicles were equipped by Agility with 829 subject Young Do valves between September 2010 and January 2013.
When the valve is closed it may remain stuck in the closed position due to the valve seat becoming detached from the valve stem, thus blocking the flow of fuel from the fuel container to the engine.
Such a condition poses a safety risk primarily to service personnel as there is no safe way to depressurize the fuel system and service the subject valve when it is stuck in the closed position.
There may also be a small fuel leak through the valve stem when the valve seat becomes detached. The affected fuel container may also become over-pressurized if the stuck valve goes undetected for a period of time, or is not repaired in a timely manner, and the ambient temperature increases significantly. To date, Agility has repaired 566 of 829 potentially defective Young Do valves on 216 vehicles.
The remainder will be repaired by Agility free of charge by installing a new valve seat and stem assembly.
Safety recall 14E-026 addresses potentially defective CNG frame rail side-mount fuel container mounting straps that may become loose.
Approximately 566 vehicles were equipped by Agility with 1,036 subject fuel container mounting systems between September 2010 and January 2013. A loose fuel container may experience abrasion damage.
High-pressure fuel and vent lines may also become compromised, increasing the risk of fuel container rupture, fuel leak, disruption of fuel flow to the engine (possibly resulting in engine stall) and disruption of fuel flow to the atmosphere in the event of pressure relief device activation. To date, Agility has repaired 596 potentially defective mounting systems on 324 vehicles.
The remainder will be repaired by Agility free of charge by installing revised design stainless steel mounting straps, hardware and rubber isolators.
Based on the recall action taken by Agility, this investigation is closed.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE13-019. 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.
Agility Fuel Systems
Agility Fuel Systems CNG Fuel Tank
- model year not given
Young DO
Young DO CNG Fuel Containervalve
- model year not given
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 PE13-019
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.