NHTSA Investigation EA03009

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES

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.

An investigation is a separate record from a recall and from a manufacturer communication. A manufacturer campaign to repair a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard.