Pierce preliminary evaluation PE14009
Front Lower Control Arm Failing. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the arm on 2 model years (2010–2011). Opened Mar 26, 2014, closed Oct 29, 2014 after 7 months. It led to safety recall 14V660000. became a recall
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedOn March 26, 2014 the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE14-009) to investigate alleged wheel separation events on model year (MY)2010 thru MY 2011 Pierce Arrow Fire Trucks equipped with TAK-4 Front Suspensions. ODI discovered media reports regarding the loss of left front wheels on two aerial fire trucks responding to emergency calls. The failures occurred in Edmonds, Oklahoma and Portland, Oregon. Pierce took possession of the two failed lower control arms in an effort to better understand the failure mechanism. During the course of the investigation Pierce made ODI aware of a third failure that occurred in Milwaukee, WI on the passenger side of a MY 2011 subject vehicle. Pierce was also in possession of the third failed control arm. During the course of the investigation, ODI interviewed drivers, fire fighters and deputy chiefs to better understand the details surrounding the failure mechanism and its severity. The personnel interviewed indicated that they had driven over what should have been normal bumps for a fire truck and the truck suddenly dropped, losing steering control. This failure resulted in the front end impacting with the road and the wheel separating from the vehicle. ODI met with Pierce on August 12, 2014 to discuss details concerning testing they were conducting to determine if they had a defect in the control arm design of the subject vehicles. During this meeting Pierce outlined the testing they had conducted to date and the plans for future testing. After contracting with an expert metallurgist and conducting additional testing, Pierce was able to identify a defect in the lower control arms that had occurred at the time of production. Once the defect was identified, Pierce was able to determine and identify the effected population as production from November 18, 2009 - May 11, 2011 involving 135 vehicles. Of the vehicle affected by the issue, 105 of them were MY 2010 - MY 2011 vehicles and were subject of this investigation. A recall (14V-660) was announced by Pierce on 10/21/2014 stating that they would inspect the lower control arms on each of the 135 suspect vehicles and replace any that were found to contain the potential defect. Based on the recall action taken by Pierce, 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: 2010 Pierce Arrow XT; 2011 Pierce Arrow XT.
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 PE14009 a recall?
No — it is the investigation that led to one. Recall 14V660000 is the campaign; its page carries the remedy.
Is PE14009 still open?
No. It closed on Oct 29, 2014 and led to recall 14V660000.
Which vehicles does PE14009 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 2 model years: 2010 Pierce Arrow XT, 2011 Pierce Arrow XT. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.