Volvo preliminary evaluation PE13005
Windshield Wiper Failures. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the linkages on 2 model years (2011–2012). Opened Mar 18, 2013, closed Aug 29, 2013 after 5 months. It led to safety recall 13V349000. became a recall
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedThrough regular communications with heavy truck fleets, ODI learned of a potential issue involving failures of both the windshield wiper motor or linkage on model year 2011-2012 Volvo VNL trucks. ODI searched its Early Warning Reporting (EWR) database and identified a significant number of claims of wiper system problems reported by Volvo. In some cases the windshield wiper linkage separated and in others the wiper motor failed. In both failure modes, the visibility of the driver is significantly diminished. In response to an ODI Information Request (IR) dated 25 March 2013, Volvo provided warranty data that identified three distinct windshield wiper failure modes on the subject vehicles: wiper motor, wiper linkage, and wiper arms. Analyzing the warranty data revealed elevated rates of wiper motor and wiper arm failures. The warranty data further showed that the wiper arm failures occurred early in the vehicle service life suggesting that those that were likely to fail had already doneso. However the wiper motor failures were found to be an ongoing concern. Owners continued to file warranty claims at an elevated rate at the time of this investigation. Following a meeting on 25 July 2013, Volvo notified ODI on 9 August 2013 they had determined the wiper motor drive gear may prematurely fail on subject vehicles manufactured from 1 February 2010 through 30 September 2010 and 1 June 2011 through 30 November 2011. Volvo states that the failure presents a risk of decreased visibility through the windshield, which may result in a vehicle crash. Volvo initiated a safety recall (NHTSA Recall No. 13V-349) to address the safety defect in approximately 17,824 Model Year 2011 and 2012 VAH, VHD, VNL, and VNM Trucks. Volvo?s action to remedy the subject vehicles for the defective wiper motor resolves the issue raised by this investigation and therefore 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 Volvo VNL; 2012 Volvo VNL.
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 PE13005 a recall?
No — it is the investigation that led to one. Recall 13V349000 is the campaign; its page carries the remedy.
Is PE13005 still open?
No. It closed on Aug 29, 2013 and led to recall 13V349000.
Which vehicles does PE13005 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 2 model years: 2011 Volvo VNL, 2012 Volvo VNL. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.