NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE86-053: INADEQUATE REAR BRAKES
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE86-053 on May 1, 1986 and closed it on January 20, 1987. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Chevrolet Astro and GMC Safari for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE86-053 (also written PE86053)
- 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 20, 1987
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- General Motors, LLC
- Component
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic
- Vehicles and equipment
- Chevrolet Astro and GMC Safari
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 PE86-053.
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:NO TSB'S OR RECALLS HAVE BEENISSUED ON THIS MATTER.THE 1985 CAMIP PHASE II SURVEY RATED THE GM M-VANBRAKE EFFECTIVENESS LOWEST AMONG VEHICLE LINES TESTED.IN RESPONSE TO THECONCERN OF VAN OWNERS, CHANGES IN THE REAR WHEEL CYLINDER DIAMETER AND THEPROPORTIONING VALVE WERE PLANNED FOR THE 1987 MODEL M-VANS.ANALYSIS:THE PROPOSED MANUFACTURER CHANGES WILL REDUCE THE FRONT-BIAS OFTHE BRAKE SYSTEM.HOWEVER, THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT GM WILL RETROFITTHE 1985 AND 1986 MODELS.OVER THE NINE MONTHS SINCE THE PE WAS OPENED,THE NUMBER OF ODI REPORTS HAS INCREASED BY 300%.
THESE REPORTS INDICATETHAT THE PROBLEM MAY NOT BE AN OVERLY FRONT-BIASED BRAKING SYSTEM, BUTTED M-VAN'SBRAKE ADJUSTER WAS NOT OPERATING PROPERLY, ALLOWING THE LEFT REAR WHEEL TOROTATE, EVEN WITH 200 POUNDS APPLIED PEDAL FORCE.THE VEHICLE DID PASSMODIFIED COMPLIANCE TESTS FOR BRAKE STOPPING DISTANCES.PROPOSED ACTION:TO UPGRADE THIS TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS.===
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE86-053. 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.
Chevrolet
All Chevrolet recallsGMC
All GMC 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 PE86-053
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.