Investigations
UNPROTECTED ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE05015 - closed, opened 2005-03-17.
NHTSA investigation PE05015 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2005-03-17 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2005-05-11 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
A Preliminary Evaluation like PE05015 is the entry point of the federal defect-investigation process. NHTSA engineers scan complaint databases, field reports, and manufacturer data to decide whether an Engineering Analysis is warranted, whether a voluntary recall is already sufficient, or whether the pattern does not rise to a defect finding.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED AFTER A NEW YORK AMBULANCE FLEET NOTIFIED ODI THAT THEY HAD EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL FIRE, WHICH FILLED THE PATIENT¿S COMPARTMENT WITH SMOKE. ALLEGEDLY, THE FIRE STARTED IN THE DISTRIBUTION..." 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 AFTER A NEW YORK AMBULANCE FLEET NOTIFIED ODI THAT THEY HAD EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL FIRE, WHICH FILLED THE PATIENT¿S COMPARTMENT WITH SMOKE. ALLEGEDLY, THE FIRE STARTED IN THE DISTRIBUTION PANEL WHICH SUPPLIES ELECTRICAL POWER TO OPERATE THE LIGHTS AND EQUIPMENT IN THE PATIENT¿S COMPARTMENT. HIGHLY FLAMMABLE MATERIALS, SUCH AS OXYGEN BOTTLES ARE STORED AND USED IN THE PATIENT COMPARTMENT OF THESE VEHICLES. ODI CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY REPORTED A SECOND THERMAL EVENT CONCERNING THE SAME ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT. DURING THE COURSE OF THE INVESTIGATION, ROAD RESCUE DISCOVERED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS NOT PROPERLY PROTECTED AGAINST A SHORT CIRCUIT AND THE FUSES WOULD NEED TO BE CHANGED TO A FUSE THAT REQUIRES A MANUAL RESET, INSTEAD OF THE AUTOMATIC RESETTING TYPE FUSE CURRENTLY INSTALLED IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. ROAD RESCUE HAS FILED A SAFTEY RECALL TO REPLACE THE FUSES ON ALL AMBULANCES UTILIZING THE SELF-RESETTING STYLE FUSE. A COPY OF THE RECALL IS ATTACHED AND THIS ACTION RESOLVES THE FIRE CONCERN RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION. HENCE, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED
About This Investigation Type
A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first phase of NHTSA's investigation process. It is opened when the agency identifies a potential safety defect pattern, usually triggered by consumer complaints, manufacturer reports, or field monitoring. During a PE, NHTSA gathers information to determine whether a formal engineering analysis is warranted.
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.