MCI preliminary evaluation PE12007
MCI Driveshaft Safety Loop Failures. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the driveline on 148 model years (1992–2012). Opened Mar 21, 2012, closed Sep 20, 2012 after 6 months without a recall. closed
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedODI has identified certain MCI coaches with powertrain configurations that may allow a driveshaft separated at the rearward universal joint to escape the guardian structure of the steerable tag axle and damage steering and braking components. The damaged components may increase the risk of a loss of vehicle control. The subject coaches include 806 model year 1992 through 2012 MCI D and E series motor coaches with steerable tag axles. This Preliminary Evaluation is being upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA12-007) to further study the alleged defect and to determine if a safety defect exists. The ODI report cited above can be viewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID: ODI Number 10447575.
A Preliminary Evaluation is the first formal stage: NHTSA has decided the complaints and other information it screened are worth a closer look, and asks the manufacturer for its own data on the condition. The summary is the agency’s own text from its investigation file, unedited; the opening and closing resumes with the full reasoning are on NHTSA’s site under this number.
What this means for an owner
Source: and what happens nextAn investigation is not a finding that a defect exists, and it puts no duty on anyone. NHTSA opens a Preliminary Evaluation when complaints and other reports suggest a condition worth asking the manufacturer about; it upgrades to an Engineering Analysis when the answers warrant testing; it closes either when it recommends a recall, when the manufacturer recalls on its own, or when no defect trend is found. The agency’s own goals are about four months for a petition, eight for a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query and eighteen for an Engineering Analysis; many run longer.
This one closed without a recall. That means NHTSA found no defect trend it chose to act on at the time, or the manufacturer addressed the condition another way (a service campaign or a bulletin, which have their own pages). A closed file can be reopened if new reports arrive.
Model years it names
Source: as NHTSA filed themAlso named: 1992 MCI 102D3; 1993 MCI 102D3; 1994 MCI 102D3; 1995 MCI 102D3; 1996 MCI 102D3; 1997 MCI 102D3; 1998 MCI 102D3; 1999 MCI 102D3; 2000 MCI 102D3; 2001 MCI 102D3; 2002 MCI 102D3; 2003 MCI 102D3; 2004 MCI 102D3; 2005 MCI 102D3; 2006 MCI 102D3; 1992 MCI 102DL3; 1993 MCI 102DL3; 1994 MCI 102DL3; 1995 MCI 102DL3; 1996 MCI 102DL3; 1997 MCI 102DL3; 1998 MCI 102DL3; 1999 MCI 102DL3; 2000 MCI 102DL3; 2001 MCI 102DL3; 2002 MCI 102DL3; 2003 MCI 102DL3; 2004 MCI 102DL3; 2005 MCI 102DL3; 2006 MCI 102DL3; 1997 MCI 102DL3SS; 1998 MCI 102DL3SS; 1999 MCI 102DL3SS; 2000 MCI 102DL3SS; 2001 MCI 102DL3SS; 2002 MCI 102DL3SS; 2003 MCI 102DL3SS; 2004 MCI 102DL3SS; 2005 MCI 102DL3SS; 2006 MCI 102DL3SS; 1992 MCI 102DLC3; 1993 MCI 102DLC3; 1992 MCI 102DLH3; 1993 MCI 102DLH3; 1998 MCI 102DLS3; 1999 MCI 102DLS3; 2000 MCI 102DLS3; 2000 MCI D; 2001 MCI D; 2002 MCI D; 2003 MCI D; 2004 MCI D; 2005 MCI D; 2006 MCI D; 2007 MCI D; 2008 MCI D; 1998 MCI D Series; 1997 MCI D4000; 1998 MCI D4000; 1999 MCI D4000 and 88 more.
A vehicle page’s investigation list carries the same action; a name here is the scope NHTSA opened, not a list of affected VINs.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationIs PE12007 a recall?
No. A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA asking questions, not a recall. A safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number and a duty to repair for free; this one closed without one. Whether one particular vehicle has an open recall is a VIN question at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Is PE12007 still open?
No. It closed on Sep 20, 2012 without a recall.
Which vehicles does PE12007 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 148 model years: 1992 MCI 102D3, 1993 MCI 102D3, 1994 MCI 102D3, 1995 MCI 102D3, 1996 MCI 102D3, 1997 MCI 102D3 and more. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.