Utility preliminary evaluation PE13039
Pintle Hook Loop Failure. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the trailer hitches on 8 model years (2012–2013). Opened Dec 9, 2013, closed Sep 11, 2014 after 9 months. It led to safety recall 14V463000. became a recall
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedThe Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation based on its review of a service bulletin submitted by Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company (Utility).The Service Bulletin (SB-07-011), contained in Utility?s July 2013 579.5 monthly submission, instructed owners of subject trailers to conduct an inspection of the pintle hook loop. The inspection procedure involved striking the loop with a 10 pound sledge hammer and then inspecting it for cracks. Due to a material defect, Utility informed owners there was a potential for the loop (that secures the trailers safety chains) to crack and fail. If the loop fails, this redundant safety component becomes ineffective in retaining the trailer to the towing vehicle should the primary hitch fail or otherwise disconnect. A trailer that has separated from its towing vehicle presents a risk to motor vehicle safety. On July 30th 2014 Utility trailer submitted a voluntary safety recall notice (14V-463) for pintle hook safety chain loop failures. The recall involves certain model year 2012-2014 VS1RA, and 2013-2014 VS1DC, VS2DX, VS2RA, VS3DX, and VS3RA trailers manufactured from April 2011 to May 2013. Utility trailer dealers will inspect and replace the pintle hook safety chain loop as required. This Preliminary Evaluation 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: 2012 Utility 3000R; 2013 Utility 3000R; 2012 Utility 3000R Multi-Temp; 2013 Utility 3000R Multi-Temp; 2012 Utility 4000D; 2013 Utility 4000D; 2012 Utility 4000D-X Composite; 2013 Utility 4000D-X Composite.
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 PE13039 a recall?
No — it is the investigation that led to one. Recall 14V463000 is the campaign; its page carries the remedy.
Is PE13039 still open?
No. It closed on Sep 11, 2014 and led to recall 14V463000.
Which vehicles does PE13039 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 8 model years: 2012 Utility 3000R, 2013 Utility 3000R, 2012 Utility 3000R Multi-Temp, 2013 Utility 3000R Multi-Temp, 2012 Utility 4000D, 2013 Utility 4000D 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.