NHTSA safety investigation
NHTSA Investigation PE03048
Preliminary Evaluation · Daimler Commercial Buses NA · ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
An investigation is not a finding that a defect exists.
NHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
What NHTSA is examining
The agency's own description of the inquiry, quoted as published
OVERHEATED EXHAUST COMPONENTS
ORION BUS IS UNAWARE OF ANYOTHER OWNER REPORTS OF EXHAUST SYSTEM FLEX PIPE FAILURES AND BELIEVES THAT THE REPORTED FAILUREIS A SINGLE, ISOLATED INCIDENT.THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FLEX PIPE STATED THAT THEY HAVE SOLD 250,OOO UNITSAND NO OTHERFAILURES HAVE BEEN REPORTED.THEY BELIEVE THE COMPLAINT VEHICLE WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. BASED ON ORION'S DATA, ODI FIELD WORK,AND THE LACK OF ANY OTHER IDENTIFED FAILURES, A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT TREND DOES NOT EXIST AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES ARE UNWARRANTED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXIST.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION ON THE VEHICLES IN THE FUTURE IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR FIELD REPORTS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION IF INDICATED.
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.
Investigation details
Identifiers, dates and outcome as recorded by NHTSA
- Action number
- PE03048
- Investigation type
- Preliminary Evaluation (PE)
- Status
- Closed
- Manufacturer
- Daimler Commercial Buses NA
- Component
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
- Opened
- Oct 17, 2003
- Closed
- Feb 6, 2004
- Associated recall campaign
- None recorded
Vehicles named in this investigation
3 model years across 1 model
Being named here means NHTSA included the vehicle in the scope of its inquiry. It is not a statement that these vehicles have a defect.