Autocar preliminary evaluation PE13011
Delayed Throttle Response. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the delivery on 10 model years (2011–2013). Opened Apr 26, 2013, closed Dec 9, 2013 after 7 months without a recall. closed
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedThis investigation was opened based on a fleet complaint alleging delayed throttle response which could potentially lead to extended stopping distances and/or increase the risk of a crash. Autocar responded to ODI's Information Request (IR) letter and provided test data including its FMVSS 124 validation data. ODI reviewed Autocar's testing procedures and results with NHTSA's Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance and Office of Rule Making. The test procedure was acceptable as were the results. In an effort to further quantify the safety risk, ODI surveyed nine fleets operating the same subject vehicles. Of the eight reporting fleets, only one expressed concerns similar to the fleet submitting the VOQ. Of all the fleets contacted, none had experienced a crash where the throttle delay was a contributing factor. Autocar provided a modified direct wire throttle to the initial fleet as a customer satisfaction campaign. This configuration resulted in an improved throttle response. In light of the low rate of delayed throttle response on the subject vehicles and Autocar's actions to improve the throttle response on the complaint vehicles, further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances. The ODI complaint cited above can be reviewed at: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID using the following (ODI) number: 10471829
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: 2011 Autocar ACX; 2012 Autocar ACX; 2011 Autocar Actt; 2012 Autocar Actt; 2011 Autocar Xpeditor; 2012 Autocar Xpeditor; 2013 Autocar Xpeditor; 2012 Autocar Xpert; 2012 Autocar Xspotter; 2013 Autocar Xspotter.
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 PE13011 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 PE13011 still open?
No. It closed on Dec 9, 2013 without a recall.
Which vehicles does PE13011 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 10 model years: 2011 Autocar ACX, 2012 Autocar ACX, 2011 Autocar Actt, 2012 Autocar Actt, 2011 Autocar Xpeditor, 2012 Autocar Xpeditor 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.