Spartan preliminary evaluation PE13028
Sway Bar End Link Failure. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the linkages on 6 model years (2009–2014). Opened Aug 26, 2013, closed Feb 19, 2014 after 6 months. It led to safety recall 14V020000. became a recall
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedOn August 26, 2013, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this preliminary evaluation after evaluating a Campaign Service Bulletin (CSB) 12-250-002 (NHTSA ID No. 10051812) issued by Spartan Chassis, Inc. The CSB related to sway bar end link failures on certain motorhome chassis manufactured between April 2, 2009 and January 14, 2013. In response to ODI's information request letter, Spartan conducted a detailed analysis of its claim data related to sway bar end link failures on the subject chassis. Spartan determined that a certain population of model MM motorhome chassis equipped with its model 1253 front suspension were experiencing an increased rate of failure. The population identified incorporated a design change that occurred in late 2009. This change increased the rebound travel of the front suspension resulting in a binding condition that could cause the sway bar end links to fail. A broken sway bar end link can potentially cause poor vehicle handling that could increase the risk of a vehicle crash. Based on the results of their analysis, Spartan decided to issue a defect notice and conduct a safety recall to replace the existing sway bar end links with new units and an improved mounting. Based on Spartan's decision to conduct a safety recall (14V-020), ODI is closing this investigation.
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 Spartan MM; 2010 Spartan MM; 2011 Spartan MM; 2012 Spartan MM; 2013 Spartan MM; 2014 Spartan MM.
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 PE13028 a recall?
No — it is the investigation that led to one. Recall 14V020000 is the campaign; its page carries the remedy.
Is PE13028 still open?
No. It closed on Feb 19, 2014 and led to recall 14V020000.
Which vehicles does PE13028 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 6 model years: 2009 Spartan MM, 2010 Spartan MM, 2011 Spartan MM, 2012 Spartan MM, 2013 Spartan MM, 2014 Spartan MM. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.