Kaufman preliminary evaluation PE12014
Wheel-End Failures. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the hub on 1 model year (2011). Opened Jun 14, 2012, closed Oct 11, 2012 after 4 months. It led to safety recall 12V410000. became a recall
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedOn June 14, 2012 the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE12-014) to assess the risks associated with wheel-end failures causing wheel separation on certain Model Year (MY) 2011 Kaufman Flatbed Trailers. Following discussions with ODI concerning manufacturer records, consumer complaints, interviews, and the risk to the public resulting from a wheel separation event, Kaufman decided to submit recall notice 12V-410 on the subject trailers. This recall decision was made prior to submitting its response to ODI's information request letter, and ODI believes it has sufficient information to close its investigation. Therefore ODI relieved Kaufman of its requirement to submit a response. Kaufman's recall actions address the issues raised by this investigation and as a result this investigation is closed.
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 became a recall. The campaign page carries the manufacturer’s filed defect, risk and remedy, the build window and every model year covered; whether one specific vehicle is included is settled by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Model years it names
Source: as NHTSA filed themAlso named: 2011 Kaufman Flatbed.
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 PE12014 a recall?
No — it is the investigation that led to one. Recall 12V410000 is the campaign; its page carries the remedy.
Is PE12014 still open?
No. It closed on Oct 11, 2012 and led to recall 12V410000.
Which vehicles does PE12014 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 1 model year: 2011 Kaufman Flatbed. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.