NHTSA Investigation PE07043

400 AMP PRIMARY FUSE CORROSION

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 CORRECTIVEACTION 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 INSALT-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.

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.