try.vin
Log in

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE20-015: Quarter Fender Failures

  • Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE20-015 on September 21, 2020 and closed it on October 14, 2021. NHTSA's investigations file lists 21 models from 2 makes for it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number
PE20-015 (also written PE20015)
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 October 14, 2021
Opened
Closed
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
PACCAR Incorporated
Component
Structure — Frame and Members — Underbody Shields
Vehicles and equipment
21 models from 2 makes, including the Kenworth T170 and Kenworth T440

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 PE20-015.

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE21-015) based on one Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) and supporting fleet reports. The reports indicated that the subject quarter fenders were prone to cracking and/or separation.

After a comprehensive review of the data related to the quarter fender failures on the subject vehicles, ODI did not identify the existence of a safety-related defect trend. Quarter fender failures resulted in a warranty claim rate less than one percent (<1%) of the total vehicle population. All separations, including those due to tread separations, road hazards, etc., accounted for less than point one percent (<0.1%) of the total vehicle population.

ODI discovered that the minimum recommended gap between the top of the quarter fender and the bottom of the trailer was not known or being followed. The optional quarter fenders were supplied by Fontaine Spray Systems (FSS), who recommended a two inch (2) gap. ODI analyzed the claim data using a calculated gap. A calculated gap using the top of the quarter fender flap and assuming the trailer is level with the top of the fifth wheel hitch was necessary, as PACCAR doesn't know specifically what trailer a purchaser will couple to the tractor. It is safe to assume no trailers on the market extend below the upper fifth wheel plate, but many do provide additional clearance over the wheels where the quarter fenders are located. ODI determined that 94 percent of warranty claims and 84 percent of separations violated FSS' recommendation.

ODI confirmed that the VOQ vehicle and the fleet report vehicles also violated FSS' recommended gap. In one fleet the gap was negative point three inches (-0.3).

PACCAR has updated its vehicle specification process and issued a customer advisory notice to existing owners. In light of the low rate of reported failures and separations, further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE20-015. 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.

Kenworth

All Kenworth recalls

Peterbilt

All Peterbilt 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 PE20-015

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.