Investigations
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA03009 - closed, opened 2003-06-30.
NHTSA investigation EA03009 is a Engineering Analysis opened on 2003-06-30 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2003-10-21 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
An Engineering Analysis like EA03009 is the deeper technical phase that follows a PE. NHTSA requests design, warranty, and field-failure data from the manufacturer, conducts its own testing when needed, and determines whether the evidence supports a safety defect finding that would compel a recall.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED BASED ON INFORMATION RELATED TO ENGINE FIRES ON MODEL YEAR 2000-2001 GILLIG BUSES. WHILE CONDUCTING THE ENGINEERING ANALYSIS, PROBLEMS WERE IDENTIFIED GOING BACK TO THE 1997 MODELS, THUS EAR..." Investigations are the early-warning layer of the federal auto-safety system, sitting upstream of formal recalls and defect orders. Whether this one closes without action or escalates into an Engineering Analysis, the full history stays in the ODI archive so researchers, litigators, and buyers can pull the paper trail at any time.
Investigation Summary
THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED BASED ON INFORMATION RELATED TO ENGINE FIRES ON MODEL YEAR 2000-2001 GILLIG BUSES. WHILE CONDUCTING THE ENGINEERING ANALYSIS, PROBLEMS WERE IDENTIFIED GOING BACK TO THE 1997 MODELS, THUS EARLIER MODELS WERE ADDED TO THE SUBJECT VEHICLES UNDER INVESTIGATION. DURING THE INVESTIGATION, ODI INVESTIGATORS CONDUCTED TWO FIELD INSPECTIONS AND FOUND POTENTIAL PROBLEMS RELATED TO LOOSE WIRE HARNESSES IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AREA. ODI ALSO DISCUSSED THE MATTER WITH INDEPENDENT FIRE INVESTIGATORS AND HAD EXTENSIVE DISCUSSIONS WITH GILLIG OFFICIALS. A COMMON TREND NOTED IN THESE DISCUSSIONS OF THE FIRES PERTAINED TO WIRE HARNESS PROTECTION AND ROUTING ISSUES. GILLIG HAD PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED A SERVICE BULLETIN AND THAT BULLETIN HAS NOW BEEN UPGRADED TO A SAFETY RECALL. OWNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE APPROPRIATE REMEDY. FULL DETAILS ARE INCLUDED IN THE ATTACHED OWNER LETTER. THIS RECALL ACTION ADDRESSES THE CONCERNS DISCOVERED BY ODI DURING THE INVESTIGATION. THEREFORE, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.
About This Investigation Type
An Engineering Analysis (EA) is the in-depth phase following a Preliminary Evaluation. NHTSA engineers conduct testing, collect data from manufacturers, and perform detailed technical analysis to determine whether a safety defect exists. An EA may lead to a voluntary recall by the manufacturer or, in rare cases, a mandatory recall order.
Data from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Cross-references: NHTSA recall campaign API and NHTSA FARS where fatality records overlap. PlainCars does not rate or recommend vehicles. about how PlainCars sources NHTSA data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.