NHTSA Investigation RQ07001

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES

ON AUGUST 18, 2004, INTERNATIONAL TRUCK AND ENGINE CORPORATION NOTIFIED THE OFFICE OF DEFECT INVESTIGATIONS (ODI) OF SEVERAL DEFECT CONDITIONS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES IN APPROXIMATELY 290 MODEL YEAR (MY) 2005 REAR ENGINE SCHOOL BUSES (RESB) BUILT FROM MARCH 3, 2004 THROUGH AUGUST 5, 2004 (RECALL 04V-400).ACCORDING TO INTERNATIONAL, THE THREE CONDITIONS THAT MIGHT LEAD TO FIRE ON THE RESB MODEL BUSES INCLUDE CHAFING OF A HIGH PRESSURE POWER STEERING FLUID HOSE, CHAFFING OF THE ENGINE ELECTRICAL HARNESS, AND A LEAK IN AN OPTIONAL OIL PRESSURE SWITCH.ON JULY 24, 2007, AFTER REVIEWING 2007 QUARTER ONE EWR DATA, ODI BECAME AWARE OF ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE REPORTS IN MY 2005 AND 2006 CONVENTIONAL ENGINE SCHOOL BUSES (CESB), SEEMINGLY SIMILAR IN NATURE TO FIRES THAT HAD BEEN DESCRIBED IN RECALL 04V-400 MENTIONED ABOVE.AS A RESULT, ODI OPENED THIS RQ ON THE CESB MODELS TO DETERMINE IF THE ORIGINAL SCOPE WAS ADEQUATE (SHOULD THE ORIGINAL RECALL HAVE INCLUDED THE CESB MODELS). DURING ODI'S REVIEW OF WARRANTY DATA RECEIVED IN RESPONSE TO AN INFORMATION REQUEST (IR) LETTER, WE DID NOT FIND A RELATED TREND IN THE WARRANTY CLAIMS THAT SUGGESTED RECALL 04V-400 SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THE CESB VEHICLES.IT WAS FOUND THAT THE CESB ENGINE CONFIGURATION AND ASSOCIATED WIRE HARNESS, POWER STEERING HOSE, AND OIL LINE CONFIGURATIONS WERE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN THE PREVIOUSLY RECALLED RESB MODEL VEHICLES.THEREFORE, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED. FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES ON THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.ALTHOUGH THE WARRANTY DATA REVIEWED DURING THE RQ DID NOT SUPPORT EXPANDING RECALL 04V-400, IT DID IDENTIFY A NEW AND DIFFERENT ISSUE THAT APPEARS TO BE CAUSING FIRES ON THE CESB VEHICLES.OF 375 WARRANTY CLAIMS REVIEWED, 127 OF THE CLAIMS IDENTIFIED THE FUSE HOLDER IN THE BATTERY BOX AS BURNING, SHORTING OUT OR CATCHING FIRE.THEREFORE, A NEW INVESTIGATION WILL BE OPENED TO DETERMINE IF THE FUSE HOLDER ON THE 2005-2006 CESB VEHICLES POSES AN UNREASONABLE RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY.

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.