Investigations
400 AMP PRIMARY FUSE CORROSION
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE07043 - closed, opened 2007-08-14.
NHTSA investigation PE07043 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2007-08-14 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2007-12-17 - 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 PE07043 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: "THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION ON WHEELED COACH OUT OF CONCERN ABOUT A LOSS OF POWER TO THE INTERIOR/EXTERIOR LIGHTS (INCLUDING WARNING LIGHTS) AND EQUIPMENT IN THE PATIENT A..." 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
THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION ON WHEELED COACH OUT OF CONCERN ABOUT A LOSS OF POWER TO THE INTERIOR/EXTERIOR LIGHTS (INCLUDING WARNING LIGHTS) AND EQUIPMENT IN THE PATIENT AREA OF THE AMBULANCE. AN APRIL 20, 2007 A CORRECTIVE ACTION REQUEST WAS ISSUED BY WHEEL COACH CONCERNING CORROSION TO THE SUBJECT VEHICLES 400 AMP PRIMARY FUSE CIRCUIT. FAILURE OF THIS CIRCUIT RESULTS IN A LOSS OF POWER TO EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT INSIDE THE AMBULANCE BODY, AS WELL AS LOSS OF THE VEHICLE'S EMERGENCY LIGHTS. ODI WAS CONCERNED THAT THE APRIL 2007 CORRECTIVE ACTION REQUEST WAS INADEQUATE. ODI OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION AND DISCOVERED THAT ALL OF THE WARRANTY CLAIMS AND COMPLAINTS WERE LOCATED IN "SALT-BELT" STATES. THE CORROSION TO THE FUSE BLOCK IS ATTRIBUTED TO ROAD SALT CHEMICALS USED DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER. ODI BELIEVES VOLTAGE TO THE PATIENT TRANSPORT MODULAR IS INHERENTLY CRITICAL TO THE AMBULANCE'S MISSION. FURTHERMORE, ODI BELIEVES THIS LOSS OF POWER REPRESENTS AN UNREASONABLE RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY FOR THIS APPLICATION, AS THE MISSION OF THE VEHICLE (AMBULANCE) IS COMPROMISED AND, THEREFORE, A SAFETY RECALL REMEDY IS APPROPRIATE. WITH WHEELED COACH'S SUBMITTAL OF A "573" LETTER, RECALLING ALL AMBULANCES IN 21 SALT BELT STATES (PLUS WASHINGTON DC) ,THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED. ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR NON-SALT BELT STATES FOR ANY INDICATION THAT THE PROBLEM IS SPREADING TO THOSE REGIONS.
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.