Isuzu preliminary evaluation PE15032
Wheel bearing failure. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the hub on 4 model years (2012–2015). Opened Sep 28, 2015, closed Feb 25, 2016 after 5 months without a recall. closed
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedThe Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) investigation on September 28th 2015 to investigate field reports submitted by Isuzu during quarterly Early Warning Reporting (EWR) describing wheel bearing failure(s) on model year (MY) 2012-2015 N-Series trucks. In addition an ODI investigator interviewed Isuzu automotive technicians to better understand the impact of this alleged failure mechanism. Isuzu technicians indicated subject Isuzu trucks had been brought in with bearings showing signs of excessive heat. On December 18th 2015 ODI received a response from Isuzu to an Information Request (IR) letter sent to them by the agency. Isuzu indicated that while they have an elevated warranty rate on certain model vehicles, there are no consumer complaints, injuries, crashes, property damage, fires or wheel off events related to bearing failures. In the worst case Isuzu explained that drivers were able to reach the roadside or other locations of safety when a bearing failure occurred. Conditions where wheel bearing has seized, the vehicle(s) could continue to be driven for a number of miles, producing a loud noise while the ABS warning light illuminates. Isuzu is aware of the elevated warranty numbers for certain model and MY vehicles and will issue an extended warranty for the subject population and further expand the scope to 2016 vehicles. Walk in van (MY 2012-2016) and diesel 14.5K truck (MY 2011-2016) owners will receive letters informing them that Isuzu is conducting a service campaign for the front wheel bearing assemblies. Customers with 60,000 miles or less on their vehicle should bring their vehicle to their dealer. Isuzu dealers will replace the grease and conduct an inspection of the wheel bearings at no charge. Additionally, Isuzu will replace wheel bearings, if necessary. Customers with over 60,000 miles should contact their dealers to schedule an appointment if they have not already had the wheel bearing grease replaced in the past. These vehicles will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Isuzu will send a letter to all customers and dealers to remind them of the required maintenance schedule for the wheel bearing grease of 30,000 miles or 24 months for all MY 2011-2016 N-Series vehicles and recommend that customers use the manufacturer specified grease during maintenance. ODI's analysis indicates that the warranty rate for wheel bearing failure is less than 1% for a population of vehicles with up to four years in service. There are no known crashes or injuries and Isuzu's extended warranty campaign addresses the issues identified in this investigation. In view of the foregoing, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists. The agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
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: 2012 Isuzu N-Series; 2013 Isuzu N-Series; 2014 Isuzu N-Series; 2015 Isuzu N-Series.
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 PE15032 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 PE15032 still open?
No. It closed on Feb 25, 2016 without a recall.
Which vehicles does PE15032 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 4 model years: 2012 Isuzu N-Series, 2013 Isuzu N-Series, 2014 Isuzu N-Series, 2015 Isuzu N-Series. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.