NHTSA Investigation EA04033

WHEEL SEPARATIONS

ON JANUARY 11, 2005, ODI INITIATED A MONITORING PROGRAM THAT REQUESTED PACE AMERICAN TO NOTIFY ODI OF ALL NEW WHEEL SEPARATION INCIDENTS.DURING THE APPROXIMATELY ELEVEN-MONTH REPORTING PERIOD, PACE AMERICAN HAS INFORMED ODI THAT NO ADDITIONAL WHEEL SEPARATION INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED IN MODEL YEAR 2003 VEHICLES THAT ARE THE SUBJECT OF THIS INVESTIGATION.DURING THIS REPORTING PERIOD, PACE REPORTED TWO INCIDENTS PERTAINING TO MODEL YEAR 2004 VEHICLES WHICH, WHEN COMBINED WITH ONE EARLIER REPORT OF A LOOSENED WHEEL, REPRESENT AN INCIDENT RATE OF 8 PER 100,000 VEHICLES FOR MY 2004 VEHICLES.PACE ALSO REPORTED EIGHT INCIDENTS PERTAINING TO MODEL YEAR 2005 VEHICLES, WHICH REPRESENT AN INCIDENT RATE OF 21 PER 100,000 VEHICLES. THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF WHEELS SEPARATIONS FROM ANY PACE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED SINCE MARCH 2005.ON DECEMBER 12, 2005, PACE OUTLINED SEVERAL PLANNED OR COMPLETED ACTIONS INTENDED TO IMPROVE WHEEL RETENTION.ACCORDINGLY, ODI WILL CLOSE THIS INVESTIGATION BUT CONTINUE TO MONITOR WHEEL SEPARATIONS FOR ANOTHER TWELVE MONTHS.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.

An investigation is a separate record from a recall and from a manufacturer communication. A manufacturer campaign to repair a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard.