Victory preliminary evaluation PE14006
Motorcycle steering lockup. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the structure on 13 model years (2008–2015). Opened Mar 10, 2014, closed May 22, 2015 after 14 months without a recall. closed
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedThis Preliminary Evaluation (PE14006) was opened after NHTSA became aware of alleged steering lockup involving Victory Vision motorcycles built by Polaris Industries, Inc. (Polaris).This issue has been the subject of numerous online forum posts by the filer of VOQ 10534733. Both the VOQs and forum posts (from all sources) formed the foundation of our investigation. The subject motorcycles are equipped with a two-piece, plastic, front fender. The back half (the all-black portion in the photo below) is secured to the fork with a single fastener on each side. It is secured to the front half of the fender with two plastic pushpins. The back half of the subject 2-piece fender is alleged to cause steering lockup when it partially separates and becomes wedged in the lower faring. We have expanded the PE's original scope to include the MY2014 and 2015 Visions because (1) these bikes came on-line after we opened this investigation and (2) the subject fender remains unchanged. Since its introduction in May, 2007, Polaris has produced 7,337 Visions (and trim derivatives).In the 8 years since, we are aware of 35 incidents of partial fender separation wherein the fender wedged in the lower fairing opening. None of the incidents involved a crash. During testing, with the fender both wedged in the lower fairing and with it pinned in the seam joining the right and left lower fairing halves, we noted a ?notchy? steering feel but no steering lock-up. At no time was steering control lost in either circumstance (wedged and/or pinned).When the front forks were rotated at angles greater than 10 degrees, and vehicle speed was, by necessity, below 10mph we noted an increase in steering effort that was easily manageable. This is consistent with the results of Polaris? testing where steering effort increased at steering angles beyond ten degrees. Such steering angles were only reasonably obtainable at speeds below ten mph. Polaris concluded that a fender separation of the type owners allege, does not represent an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety, but does compromise owner satisfaction. Consequently, on April 28, 2015, Polaris advised the agency that it decided to undertake a consumer satisfaction campaign to improve fender durability on all MY 2008-15 Victory Vision motorcycles regardless of mileage, time in service, or ownership status. Owners will receive notification of this campaign by June 20, 2015. A copy of Polaris' April 28, 2015 letter to us about this program is in the public file for this PE. In light of the low risk to motor vehicle safety as a result of displaced fenders, and Polaris?s actions to reduce the likelihood of fender interference through a consumer satisfaction campaign, 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. For additional detailed information on this investigation, see the attached closing report. The ODI complaints cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following (ODI) numbers: 10534913, 10535066, 10430546, 10469285, 10468997, 10592181, 10585428, 10534743, 10597031, 10535938, 10594160, 10594161, 10606364
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: 2008 Victory Vision; 2009 Victory Vision; 2010 Victory Vision; 2011 Victory Vision; 2012 Victory Vision; 2013 Victory Vision; 2014 Victory Vision; 2010 Victory Vision Eight Ball; 2011 Victory Vision Eight Ball; 2008 Victory Vision Street; 2008 Victory Vision Tour; 2009 Victory Vision Tour; 2015 Victory Vision Tour ABS.
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 PE14006 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 PE14006 still open?
No. It closed on May 22, 2015 without a recall.
Which vehicles does PE14006 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 13 model years: 2008 Victory Vision, 2009 Victory Vision, 2010 Victory Vision, 2011 Victory Vision, 2012 Victory Vision, 2013 Victory Vision 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.