Autocar and Mack preliminary evaluation PE20003
Vehicle Roll Away. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the parking brake on 46 model years (2008–2022). Opened Apr 1, 2020, closed Jan 10, 2024 after 3.8 years. It led to safety recall 21V953000, 23V023000. became a recall
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedOn April 1, 2020, following information received from the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) network of fleet contacts, ODI opened PE20-003 to investigate reports of vehicle roll away in certain model year (MY) 2008-2020 Autocar and Mack refuse trucks equipped with certain Bendix PP-1 push-pull pneumatic park brake control valves with a pipe-away exhaust configuration. Prior to ODI’s investigation,[KK(1] Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Bendix), the subject component manufacturer, published two related technical service bulletins (TSBs): Bendix Push-Pull Type Control Valves Service Data SD-03-3611 Rev. 007 (2019-03) and Bendix PP-1 & PP-8 Park Control Valve Wear and Replacement Notice Technical Bulletin TCH-003-056 (2019-11-20). ODI sent Information Request (IR) letters to motor vehicle manufacturers Autocar LLC (Autocar) and Volvo Trucks North America/Mack Trucks, Inc. (Volvo/Mack) and motor vehicle equipment manufacturer Bendix. IR response data from all three manufacturers was analyzed and cross-referenced to gain further understanding. To date, ODI is aware of 5 vehicle roll-away incidents related to the alleged defect condition in the subject vehicles equipped with the subject components, resulting in 4 crashes and 1 injury. On December 9, 2021, Volvo/Mack notified the agency of a safety recall (21V953) to address a safety defect in certain MY 2008-2019 TerraPro (MRU) and MY 2019-2022 TerraPro (TE) trucks originally equipped with the subject components. [KK(2] On January 1, 2023, Autocar notified the agency of a safety recall (23V023) to address a safety defect in certain MY 2008-2020 ACX (Xpeditor), MY 2012-2020 ACMD (Xpert), MY 2010-2020 ACTT (Xspotter), MY 2008-2010 WX and MY 2008-2010 WXLL trucks. Volvo/Mack and Autocar's recall remedies involve removing the vent line fitting threaded into the exhaust port of the subject PP-1 valve. [VD(3] Both Autocar and Mack have stopped equipping new refuse trucks with park control valves using the exhaust pipe-away configuration. After discussions between ODI and Bendix concerning ways to prevent new PP-1 valves from being sold and installed with a potential for the exhaust to become restricted, Bendix will take the following actions: 1) issue a letter to all original equipment (OE) customers with important safety information warning them about the safety risk of attaching plumbing to the exhaust port when the subject component is used as a park control valve; and 2) affix a warning label on all aftermarket parts warning not to install pipe-away exhaust port plumbing. In view of the recalls being conducted by Volvo/Mack and Autocar, and the actions taken by Bendix, ODI has closed this Preliminary Evaluation. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist in equipment or other model or MY vehicles that have not been recalled. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted.
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 Autocar WX; 2009 Autocar WX; 2010 Autocar WX; 2008 Autocar Wxll; 2009 Autocar Wxll; 2010 Autocar Wxll; 2008 Autocar Xpeditor; 2009 Autocar Xpeditor; 2010 Autocar Xpeditor; 2011 Autocar Xpeditor; 2012 Autocar Xpeditor; 2013 Autocar Xpeditor; 2014 Autocar Xpeditor; 2015 Autocar Xpeditor; 2016 Autocar Xpeditor; 2017 Autocar Xpeditor; 2018 Autocar Xpeditor; 2019 Autocar Xpeditor; 2020 Autocar Xpeditor; 2012 Autocar Xpert; 2014 Autocar Xpert; 2015 Autocar Xpert; 2016 Autocar Xpert; 2010 Autocar Xspotter; 2013 Autocar Xspotter; 2016 Autocar Xspotter; 2017 Autocar Xspotter; 2018 Autocar Xspotter; 2019 Autocar Xspotter; 2020 Autocar Xspotter; 2008 Mack MRU; 2009 Mack MRU; 2010 Mack MRU; 2019 Mack TE; 2020 Mack TE; 2021 Mack TE; 2011 Mack Terrapro (mru); 2012 Mack Terrapro (mru); 2013 Mack Terrapro (mru); 2014 Mack Terrapro (mru); 2015 Mack Terrapro (mru); 2016 Mack Terrapro (mru); 2017 Mack Terrapro (mru); 2018 Mack Terrapro (mru); 2019 Mack Terrapro (mru); 2022 Mack Terrapro (te).
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 PE20003 a recall?
No — it is the investigation that led to one. Recall 21V953000, 23V023000 is the campaign; its page carries the remedy.
Is PE20003 still open?
No. It closed on Jan 10, 2024 and led to recall 21V953000, 23V023000.
Which vehicles does PE20003 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 46 model years: 2008 Autocar WX, 2009 Autocar WX, 2010 Autocar WX, 2008 Autocar Wxll, 2009 Autocar Wxll, 2010 Autocar Wxll 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.