Freightliner, Sterling and 1 others preliminary evaluation PE12018
Air Brake Reservoir Bracket Fracture. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the reservoir/tank on 27 model years (2009–2012). Opened Jun 25, 2012, closed Sep 20, 2012 after 3 months. It led to safety recall 12V405000. became a recall
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedThe Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received Early Warning Reporting (EWR) data from the manufacturer that indicated some number of subject vehicles had allegedly experienced a fracture of one or more support brackets resulting in an unsecured air brake reservoir. This could result in a loss of air pressure necessary for proper service brake application and a potential road hazard if the reservoir separates from the vehicle in operation. By letter dated August 15, 2012, Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) has notified ODI that it has initiated a safety recall (identified by NTHSA Recall No. 12V-405 and DTNA Recall No. FL-631) to address a safety defect in approximately 1,663 model year (MY) 2009 through 2012 Freightliner 114SD, Business Class M2, Cascadia, Coronado, Sterling 9500 and Western Star 4700 trucks manufactured from July 7, 2008 through December 15, 2011, originally equipped with a specific perpendicular oriented air brake reservoir support bracket (P/N 12-22981-000).To date ODI is unaware of any bracket failures that resulted in a complete separation of the reservoir from the vehicle. Affected owners will be notified by DTNA beginning October 15, 2012 and affected vehicles will have the subject air brake reservoir support brackets replaced with a more robust bracket. Repairs will be performed by DTNA authorized service facilities. Copies of DTNA's reimbursement plan for pre-notification remedies will be submitted to ODI as a supplemental report when available. Accordingly, 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: 2009 Freightliner 114SD; 2010 Freightliner 114SD; 2011 Freightliner 114SD; 2012 Freightliner 114SD; 2009 Freightliner Business Class M2; 2010 Freightliner Business Class M2; 2011 Freightliner Business Class M2; 2012 Freightliner Business Class M2; 2009 Freightliner Cascadia; 2010 Freightliner Cascadia; 2011 Freightliner Cascadia; 2012 Freightliner Cascadia; 2009 Freightliner Coronado; 2010 Freightliner Coronado; 2011 Freightliner Coronado; 2012 Freightliner Coronado; 2009 Freightliner M2; 2010 Freightliner M2; 2011 Freightliner M2; 2009 Sterling 9500; 2010 Sterling 9500; 2011 Sterling 9500; 2012 Sterling 9500; 2009 Western Star 4700; 2010 Western Star 4700; 2011 Western Star 4700; 2012 Western Star 4700.
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 PE12018 a recall?
No — it is the investigation that led to one. Recall 12V405000 is the campaign; its page carries the remedy.
Is PE12018 still open?
No. It closed on Sep 20, 2012 and led to recall 12V405000.
Which vehicles does PE12018 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 27 model years: 2009 Freightliner 114SD, 2010 Freightliner 114SD, 2011 Freightliner 114SD, 2012 Freightliner 114SD, 2009 Freightliner Business Class M2, 2010 Freightliner Business Class M2 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.