RoadVitals

2013 Pierce Arrow

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
1
Latest May 21, 2013
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
1
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 2013 Pierce Arrow, most frequently naming the brakes category. 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 34 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Brakes1100.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

PE13022ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

Parking Brake Failure

Opened Jun 20, 2013
Closed Oct 30, 2013

On June 20th, 2013, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation on 2013 Pierce Arrow fire trucks based on a single Vehicle Owners Questionnaire (VOQ #10512931), which reported five unique allegations of parking brake failures.The VOQ indicated that while the parking brake was activated, the fire trucks unexpectedly started to roll.On July 1st, 2013, an ODI investigator met with Pierce field engineers at an authorized Pierce facility located in Maryland to duplicate the alleged failure.The Pierce field engineers were able to duplicate the issue and pinpoint the failure mechanism.A quarter turn ball valve installed between the glad hands connector and the parking brake can cause a restriction and build up of air pressure in the parking brake circuit.This increased air pressure can prevent the application of the spring-loaded parking brake allowing the truck to roll when the operator believes the parking brake is applied As a corrective action, Pierce will remove the quarter turn ball valve and reconnect the glad hand signal hose into the primary air tank.This Preliminary Evaluation has been closed with a safety recall (13V435).

PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL:AIRLed to recall 13V435000

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Brakes
Filed May 21, 2013

NO PARKING BRAKE...UNIT ROLLED WITH PARKING BRAKE KNOB ACTIVATED. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON 4 OTHER NEW UNITS THAT WE OWN AND I UNDERSTAND THAT OTHER FIRE DEPARTMENTS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME INVERSION VALVE FAILURE. LAST FAILURE WAS FRIDAY MAY 17 ON [XXX], A SISTER UNIT. TWO AERIAL LADDERS AND ANOTHER PUMPER [XXX] HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUES. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID
10512931
Incident
Apr 17, 2013
Mileage
3,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

PB_805

WHEELS

This bulletin outlines the process for masking off new tire rims in order to paint and powder coat.

74B345

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Pierce has updated our inverter installation policy to require a sub-feed breaker box with inverters that can supply over 2400W (20A @ 120V) in an unprotected output. In alignment with the National Electric Code (NEC), this will ensure that any 15A or 20A inverter load will not exceed the current rating of the wire or device.

PB_799

Pierce is communicating a material change to the ball joint boots used in applicable service kit PN 2742031. This bulletin is intended to help Dealer Parts and Service teams understand the reason for the change and how to identify the new ball joint.

SB_797

This bulletin provides a procedure for comprehensive update of the Command Zone (CZ) Telematics Control Unit (TCU), control module, and Display devices in Pierce custom chassis apparatus to enable next-generation ClearSky Intelligence Connected Solutions capabilities, provide a pathway for future Over-The-Air Programming, improve TCU reliability, and install new TCU webpage and MQTT security certificates. This update is highly recommended for TCU devices currently operating with all software versions prior to 8.0.0 or 8.1.0 and all apparatus with active ClearSky Intelligence subscriptions.

SB_796

This bulletin provides a procedure to update Telematics Control Unit (TCU) devices in Pierce custom chassis apparatus equipped with Command Zone and with TCU software version 7.4.3. Installation of new TCU webpage and MQTT security certificates is accomplished as part of this procedure. This update is highly recommended for TCU devices currently operating with all software versions prior to 7.4.3.

SB_795

This bulletin provides a procedure to update webpage and MQTT certificates in the Telematics Control Unit (TCU) devices of Pierce custom chassis apparatus equipped with Command Zone and with TCU software versions 6.0.8, 6.0.13, 7.4.3, or 8.0.0. Apparatus with TCU software versions 7.0.1, 7.0.3, 7.2.0, and 7.4.2 should utilize SB_796 “TCU v 7.4.3 Update” for recommended software updates.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Pierce Arrow by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2013Viewing101—
2008000—
2007000—
2006000—
2005000—
2004000—
2003000—
2002000—
2001010—
2000010—
1999010—
1998010—
1997010—
1996010—
1995010—
1993010—
1992010—
1991020—
1990020—
1989030—
1988020—
1987020—
1986020—
1985020—
1984020—
1983020—
1982010—
1981010—
1980010—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.