MCI preliminary evaluation PE17008
Tailpipe seperation resulting in fire. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the exhaust system on 7 model years (2011–2017). Opened Nov 20, 2017, closed Aug 21, 2018 after 9 months without a recall. closed
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedDuring the review of Motor Coach Industries (MCI) Early Warning Reporting (EWR) 2016 Q4 data, field reports were identified that described fires on 2 buses from different regions of the country. These fires were alleged to have occurred as a result of a loose clamp allowing the tailpipe to separate from the exhaust after treatment assembly. During exhaust after treatment regeneration high temperature gases were directed at the plastic rear bumper. Prior to the fires, there were no indications (such as soot trails) that the clamps were loose. When contacted, the fleet maintenance manager stated all maintenance schedules and DOT inspections had been performed without a failure citation of the exhaust systems. MCI addressed the issue by installing additional brackets to the pipe on all the other buses in the fleet ensuring the tailpipe stayed intact should the clamp lose torque. In correspondence with another fleet using the same style bus, the fleet safety manager described having loose clamps resulting in fires. The MCI fix for the second fleet was to install a shield at the rear bumper to deflect the high temperature exhaust gases in the event of the tailpipe separated from the exhaust after treatment system. This fix was different from the first fleet. During review of communications submitted in March 2017, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) identified MCI Service Bulletin No. 309 regarding a maintenance procedure of the exhaust system Torca Accuseal clamp. This bulletin instructed that a new clamp must be utilized after any service or maintenance is performed in which the existing clamp was loosened or removed. ODI requested further information on this bulletin and received warranty claims showing loose tailpipes. MCI has taken the position that fires at the clamp location were due to improper maintenance by the fleets. After analysis of data, provided by MCI to ODI in response to an information request letter, ODI found there was not an increasing number (claim rate of 1.1%) of failures and fires even with portions of the fleet having over seven years in service. The 4 fires identified were from 2 fleets. ODI contacted the fleets with fire incidents and was informed that one of the two buses involved in the fire incidents was sold in 2016 and other fleet does not have maintenance records since they only keep records for one year. ODI is closing the investigation as no actionable trend has been identified. This investigation is closed. Further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to 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: 2011 MCI D4505; 2012 MCI D4505; 2013 MCI D4505; 2014 MCI D4505; 2015 MCI D4505; 2016 MCI D4505; 2017 MCI D4505.
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 PE17008 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 PE17008 still open?
No. It closed on Aug 21, 2018 without a recall.
Which vehicles does PE17008 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 7 model years: 2011 MCI D4505, 2012 MCI D4505, 2013 MCI D4505, 2014 MCI D4505, 2015 MCI D4505, 2016 MCI D4505 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.