NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Recall Query RQ14-004: Trailer tire may contact floor
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Recall Query RQ14-004 on September 10, 2014 and closed it on July 9, 2015. NHTSA's investigations file lists 5 Forest River models for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- RQ14-004 (also written RQ14004)
- Investigation type
- Recall Query An investigation into whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or whether its remedy works, run much like a Preliminary Evaluation.
- Status
- Closed July 9, 2015
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Forest River, Inc.
- Component
- Suspension — Rear — Springs — Leaf Spring Assembly — U-Bolt, Leaf Spring to Axle
- Vehicles and equipment
- 5 Forest River models, including the Flagstaff and Forester
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 Recall Query RQ14-004.
ODI opened RQ14-004 based on 3 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) which reported a condition similar to recall 13V-554.
This recall addressed insufficient clearance between the tire and trailer floor.
The condition was due to a frame supplier change which resulted in reduced clearance between the top of the tire and the bottom of the wheel wellOf the three VOQs reported in the opening resume two were not included in recall 13V-554 and one was.
Both of the vehicles not included used a different frame than the recalled trailers.
Upon thorough examination of the condition experienced by the owners it was found that neither unit exhibited insufficient tire clearance between the bottom of the floor and top of the tire.
Forest River's initial Information Request Response (IRR) submission did not adequately address all the questions asked by ODI.Following a meetingwith Forest River personnel on March 20, 2015 an IRR was submitted on May 22, 2015, which satisfied ODI.This submission is included in the public repository.
When asked how Forest River identified the recall population they used a production change to determine the start and end dates.
On February 3, 2012 Forest River introduced a new frame.
The engineering drawings used to launch this new frame failed to identify the frame rail height.
Furthermore, Forest River failed to verify that the new frame rail height was the same as the one it replaced.
This created a half inch reduction in clearance.
This issue was not identified and remedied untilFebruary 4, 2013 which is the end of the recall population. A thorough review of the complaint and warranty informationreceived during this investigation was preformed.
After removing claims that could be associated with recall 13V-554 a defect trend was not identified on the remaining population.
The only crash which also included an injurycould not be positively associated with the alleged defect. This investigation is closed.
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.
The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following complaint identification numbers: 10598458, 10598344, 10538519.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Recall Query RQ14-004. 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.
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 RQ14-004
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.