NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Engineering Analysis EA03-009: ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Engineering Analysis EA03-009 on June 30, 2003 and closed it on October 21, 2003. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 1997–2001 Gillig 29 Foot Low Floor for it and links recall 03V-392 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- EA03-009 (also written EA03009)
- Investigation type
- Engineering Analysis A more detailed stage of a defect investigation, opened when NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation decides an issue merits further review, often after a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query; it can include vehicle testing, surveys and further information requests.
- Status
- Closed October 21, 2003
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Gillig, LLC
- Components
- Electrical System — Wiring — Rear Compartment/Trunk; Electrical System — Wiring — Fuses and Circuit Breakers
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 03V-392: GILLIG/ENGINE ELECTRICAL, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 1997–2001 Gillig 29 Foot Low Floor
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Engineering Analysis EA03-009.
try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.
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.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Engineering Analysis EA03-009. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
What an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Free VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for EA03-009
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.