Bear Trailer preliminary evaluation PE15034
Hitch Failure. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the trailer hitches. Opened Oct 16, 2015, closed Mar 2, 2016 after 5 months without a recall. closed
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedThe Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) based on an owner report and the lack of required TREAD act reporting (49 CFR 579) from Bear Trailer MFG (Bear).The Vehicle Owner'sQuestionnaire (VOQ) reported a crack in the trailer tongue. This is a critical component for the safe operation of a trailer. The subject component of this investigation is a patented design known as the Trail Guard tongue. This is a removable tongue which includes the electrical harness and serves two purposes. Removal of the tongue shortens the trailer, reducing the amount of storage space required and also prevents trailer theft. With the tongue and coupler removed it is impossible to connect a tow vehicle to the trailer or operate the trailer's electrical system. ODI sent Bear an Information Request (IR) letter to gather relevant data about the subject component and vehicles. Bear responded to the letter and addressed all questions from ODI. Bear also took action addressing its failure to comply with TREAD reporting requirements. The VOQ reported a cracked tongue. Vehicle control was maintained. The failure was discovered prior to complete separation. There were no other known failures of the subject component on 2,338 trailers with over 6 years of exposure. ODI reviewed the patent designs as submitted in 2005 and 2006. Bear did not report any design changes. The failure reported in the VOQ appears to be an isolated incident and no defect trend was detected by ODI. Further use of agency resources does not appear warranted. This investigation is closed. The agency may take further action if new information is discovered in the future. ODI opened this investigation to determine the scope and severity of the alleged defect. The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following complaint identification numbers: 10759570
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 themNHTSA filed this action against Bear Trailer Manufacturing, Inc. without naming a model year — an equipment or manufacturer-level query.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationIs PE15034 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 PE15034 still open?
No. It closed on Mar 2, 2016 without a recall.
Which vehicles does PE15034 cover?
NHTSA filed it against Bear Trailer Manufacturing, Inc. without naming a model year.