NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA03016

THE EA WAS OPENED BASED ON INFORMATION OBTAINED DURING THE PE WHICH INDICATED A SAFETY DEFECT TREND CONCERNING AXLE SPINDLE FAILURES.DURING THE EA IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE PATTERN OF FAILURES PERTAINED TO TRAILERS BUILT DURING A SPECIFIC TIME PERIOD.ODI AND FINN OFFICIALS DISCUSSED THE PATTERN AND FINN CONTACTED THE AXLE MANUFACTURER, HENSCHEN INC, LOCATED IN OHIO.AS A RESULT, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT AXLES PRODUCED FOR VEHICLES BUILT FROM DECEMBER 2000 TO DECEMBER 2001 MAY HAVE AN UNDERSIZED RADIUS ON THE AXLE SPINDLE.ANAXLE BUILT WITH AN UNDERSIZED RADIUS MAY SUFFER A STRESS RISER THAT ULTIMATELY WILL ALLOW THE SPINDLE AND WHEEL END ASSEMBLY TO SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE.TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM, THE AXLE MANUFACTURER WILL SUPPLY NEW AXLES WHICH HAVE BEEN 100% INSPECTED FOR PROPER MATCHING TO ENSURE THE SPECIFICATIONS REQUIRED BY THE ENGINEERING DRAWINGS ARE MET. TRAILER OWNERS IN THE IDENTIFIED VIN RANGE WILL BE CONTACTED AND HAVE THEIR AXLES REPLACED WITH THE NEW UNITS.SIXTY-EIGHT AXLES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS POTENTIALLY HAVING THE DEFECTIVE AXLES. THIS IS A SUBSET OF THE ORIGINAL POPULATION OF 219, AND ODI BELIEVES THAT THIS IS THE PROPER POPULATION TO RECALL, BASED ON THE FACTS CURRENTLY KNOWN.THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.FINN CORPORATION HAS TAKEN THE APPROPRIATE STEPS TO REMEDY TRAILERS LIKELY TO INCUR A FAILURE.