NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE16-005: Wiper Motor Failure
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE16-005 on April 13, 2016 and closed it on April 24, 2017. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2015–2016 Freightliner Cascadia for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE16-005 (also written PE16005)
- 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 24, 2017
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Daimler Trucks North America, LLC
- Components
- Visibility; Visibility/Wiper
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2015–2016 Freightliner Cascadia
A recall appears here only when NHTSA's investigations file links one to the investigation; NHTSA's summary or record can name others.
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE16-005.
On April 13, 2016, the Office of Defects investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation on 2015-2016 MY Freightliner Cascadia trucks, alleging windshield wiper motor failures. The investigation was opened based on EWR field reports describing windshield wipers that intermittently failed to operate, causing a loss of vision and increasing the risk of a crash. Several of the reports alleged multiple vehicles experiencing the failure, while multiple failures happen on the same vehicle. Many of the field reports indicated the windshield wiper problem was resolved once the wiper motor is replaced.
Through communications with the manufacturer, ODI learned they had received 4 complaints, 12 field reports and 1,852 warranty reports involving the alleged defect on the subject vehicles. ODI was also made aware of a crash due to wiper failure during a rain storm. ODI interviewed both the owner and driver of the truck. The driver alleged he switched the wiper speed from intermediate to high and the wiper stopped working. During the loss of vision event, he lost control of his vehicle, hitting an embankment on the passenger side. The owner of the truck stated that after towing the vehicle back to their property, the function of the wipers was tested and they were found not to operate.
The manufacturer informed ODI they had collected wiper motors from vehicles that allegedly had wipers fail and bench tested them. In each case they state the motor was found to operate normally. The manufacturer states they have not been able to duplicate the wiper failure problem as described in reports.
This investigation has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA17-001) for ODI to gather additional information concerning wiper system performance. ODI will also study peer vehicles to understand how they perform relative to the subject vehicles.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE16-005. 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 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 PE16-005
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.