Tiffin preliminary evaluation PE16004
Loss of Windshield Wiper Function. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the linkages on 3 model years (2008–2010). Opened Apr 13, 2016, closed Sep 3, 2016 after 5 months. It led to safety recall 16V532000, 16V623000. became a recall
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedBased on two Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ) alleging windshield wiper failures at the pivot assembly on Phaeton model Motorhomes, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE).During the investigation Tiffin made ODI aware of 66 warranty claims for wiper failures and also informed ODI of a design change to the wiper motor. Based on the VOQ received by ODI, the vehicles subject to this investigation were 2008 MY Tiffin Phaeton Motorhomes. During the investigation Tiffin identified additional models that used the same subject windshield wiper components. The additional models include 2007-2011 MY Allegro, Allegro Bus, Phaeton, and Zephyr, 2007-2010 MY Allegro Bay and 2010-2011 MY Allegro Breeze motorhomes. As part of the investigation, fleet operators, professional drivers, law enforcement personal, engineers from the Vehicle Research Test Center and complainants were interviewed. ODI leveraged these interviews to demonstrate that the wiper failures represented a safety defect. Tiffin concurred and during the PE process decided to conduct a voluntary safety recall (16V-532).Tiffin found that if the windshield wiper arms break, the driver's visibility may be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash. The Tiffin recall was received prior to the required response date of an Information Request (IR) letter ODI had sent them. As a result, there is no manufacturer IR response on record. This investigation is closed with Safety Recall (16V-532).The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID using the following complaint identification numbers: 10522553, 10478772.
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: 2008 Tiffin Phaeton; 2009 Tiffin Phaeton; 2010 Tiffin Phaeton.
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 PE16004 a recall?
No — it is the investigation that led to one. Recall 16V532000, 16V623000 is the campaign; its page carries the remedy.
Is PE16004 still open?
No. It closed on Sep 3, 2016 and led to recall 16V532000, 16V623000.
Which vehicles does PE16004 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 3 model years: 2008 Tiffin Phaeton, 2009 Tiffin Phaeton, 2010 Tiffin Phaeton. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.