Investigations
NORCOLD, INC ABSORPTION REFRIGERATORS
NHTSA EQ EQ08009 - closed, opened 2008-05-30.
NHTSA investigation EQ08009 is a EQ opened on 2008-05-30 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2008-10-06 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "ON 03/25/08 NORCOLD FILED A DEFECT REPORT STATING CERTAIN ABSORPTION REFRIGERATORS MAY EXPERIENCE A REFRIGERANT LEAK. IF A REFRIGERATOR CONTINUES TO OPERATE WITHOUT REFRIGERANT LIQUID, VERY HIGH TEMPERATURES CAN OCCUR PO..." 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
ON 03/25/08 NORCOLD FILED A DEFECT REPORT STATING CERTAIN ABSORPTION REFRIGERATORS MAY EXPERIENCE A REFRIGERANT LEAK. IF A REFRIGERATOR CONTINUES TO OPERATE WITHOUT REFRIGERANT LIQUID, VERY HIGH TEMPERATURES CAN OCCUR POSSIBLY LEADING TO A FIRE. AS MANY OF THESE REFRIGERATORS ARE INSTALLED IN RECREATIONAL VEHICLES, A FIRE CAN CAUSE PERSONAL INJURY TO THE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS AND EXTENSIVE PROPERTY DAMAGE. RMD MAILED INFORMATION REQUEST LETTERS TO 21 VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS ON 6/17/2008. OF THOSE RESPONSES, MONACO COACH, COACHMEN, TRAVEL UNITS, & WINNEBAGO HAD FILED DEFECT REPORTS PRIOR TO RECEIVING RMD'S NOTICE, ALFA LEISURE'S LETTER WAS RETURNED AS THEY WENT OUT OF BUSINESS ON 4/30/2008, AND SEVERAL COMPANIES WERE BOAT MODIFIERS THAT WOULD NOT FILE DEFECT REPORTS WITH NHTSA. 10 VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS FILED A DEFECT REPORT WITH NHTSA AND NOTIFIED THEIR CUSTOMER BASE ACCORDINGLY. THIS EQUIPMENT QUERY IS CLOSED. IR RESPONSES CAN BE FOUND BELOW OR IN THE DOCUMENT REPOSITORY.
About This Investigation Type
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.