NHTSA Investigation PE07034

DASH/INTERIOR FIRE

BASED ON THE DATA PROVIDED BY INTERNATIONAL AND FURTHER REVIEW OF THE ALLEGED FIRES, A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME. A REVIEW OF THE WARRANTY DATA PROVIDED NO ADDITIONAL CLAIMS THAT DESCRIBE STEP-WELL HEATER BLOWER THERMAL EVENTS.NO WARRANTY CLAIMS INDICATE FIRES OR ADDITIONAL PROPERTY DAMAGE TO THE BUS.SIMILARLY, A REVIEW OF 64 APPLICABLE DEALER REPORTS FOUND NO REFERENCE TO SMOKE, FIRE, OR BURNED COMPONENTS.OTHER THAN THE THREE FIRE CLAIMS MENTIONED IN THIS PE, INTERNATIONAL HAS NOT IDENTIFIEDANY OTHER REPORTS OF FIRE RELATING TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT FOR THE 23,000 SUBJECT BUSES.WITH REGARD TO THE THREE FIRES IDENTIFIED, INTERNATIONAL WAS ONLY ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE ORIGIN OF THE TWO ELGIN FLEET FIRES OCCURRED IN THE AREA OF THE STEP-WELL HEATER AROUND THE BLOWER MOTOR AREA.THE ORIGIN OF THE ST. PAUL FIRE WAS NOT IN THE AREA OF THE STEP-WELL HEATER, RATHER,BASED ON THE BURN PATTERNS OF THIS UNIT, THE FIRE ORIGINATED TO THE LEFT OF THE STEP-WELL HEATER.INTERNATIONAL PLANS TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR FIELD REPORTS AND WARRANTY CLAIMS RELATED TO THE STEP-WELL HEATER AND THE FRONT ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. NO FIELD ACTION OF ANY KIND IS PLANNED AT THIS TIME.HOWEVER INTERNATIONAL IS CONTINUING THE INVESTIGATION WITH REGARD TO THE ELGIN BUSES TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE ROOT CAUSE OF THOSE TWO INCIDENTS.A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT TRENDHAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES IS NOT CURRENTLY WARRANTED. THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS. THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR REPORTS AND TAKE THE APPROPRIATE ACTION IFWARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

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.