NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE20-003: Vehicle Roll Away
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE20-003 on April 1, 2020 and closed it on January 10, 2024. NHTSA's investigations file lists 9 models from 2 makes for it and links recalls 21V-953 and 23V-023 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE20-003 (also written PE20003)
- 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 January 10, 2024
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturers
- Autocar, LLC; Mack Trucks, Inc.; Autocar Industries, LLC
- Components
- Parking Brake; Parking Brake — Conventional — Air; Service Brakes, Air — Controls; Service Brakes, Air — Supply — Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
- Recalls linked by NHTSA
- Vehicles and equipment
- 9 models from 2 makes, including the Autocar Xpeditor and Mack TERRAPRO (MRU)
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE20-003.
try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.
On April 1, 2020, following information received from the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) network of fleet contacts, ODI opened PE20-003 to investigate reports of vehicle roll away in certain model year (MY) 2008-2020 Autocar and Mack refuse trucks equipped with certain Bendix PP-1 push-pull pneumatic park brake control valves with a pipe-away exhaust configuration. Prior to ODI’s investigation,[KK(1] Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Bendix), the subject component manufacturer, published two related technical service bulletins (TSBs): Bendix Push-Pull Type Control Valves Service Data SD-03-3611 Rev. 007 (2019-03) and Bendix PP-1 & PP-8 Park Control Valve Wear and Replacement Notice Technical Bulletin TCH-003-056 (2019-11-20). ODI sent Information Request (IR) letters to motor vehicle manufacturers Autocar LLC (Autocar) and Volvo Trucks North America/Mack Trucks, Inc. (Volvo/Mack) and motor vehicle equipment manufacturer Bendix. IR response data from all three manufacturers was analyzed and cross-referenced to gain further understanding. To date, ODI is aware of 5 vehicle roll-away incidents related to the alleged defect condition in the subject vehicles equipped with the subject components, resulting in 4 crashes and 1 injury. On December 9, 2021, Volvo/Mack notified the agency of a safety recall (21V953) to address a safety defect in certain MY 2008-2019 TerraPro (MRU) and MY 2019-2022 TerraPro (TE) trucks originally equipped with the subject components. [KK(2] On January 1, 2023, Autocar notified the agency of a safety recall (23V023) to address a safety defect in certain MY 2008-2020 ACX (Xpeditor), MY 2012-2020 ACMD (Xpert), MY 2010-2020 ACTT (Xspotter), MY 2008-2010 WX and MY 2008-2010 WXLL trucks. Volvo/Mack and Autocar's recall remedies involve removing the vent line fitting threaded into the exhaust port of the subject PP-1 valve. [VD(3] Both Autocar and Mack have stopped equipping new refuse trucks with park control valves using the exhaust pipe-away configuration. After discussions between ODI and Bendix concerning ways to prevent new PP-1 valves from being sold and installed with a potential for the exhaust to become restricted, Bendix will take the following actions: 1) issue a letter to all original equipment (OE) customers with important safety information warning them about the safety risk of attaching plumbing to the exhaust port when the subject component is used as a park control valve; and 2) affix a warning label on all aftermarket parts warning not to install pipe-away exhaust port plumbing. In view of the recalls being conducted by Volvo/Mack and Autocar, and the actions taken by Bendix, ODI has closed this Preliminary Evaluation. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist in equipment or other model or MY vehicles that have not been recalled. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE20-003. 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.
Autocar
Autocar WX
Autocar Wxll
Autocar Xpeditor
Autocar Xpert
Autocar Xspotter
Mack
Mack MRU
Mack TE
Mack TERRAPRO (MRU)
Mack TERRAPRO (TE)
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 PE20-003
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.