NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Equipment Query EQ10-009: Trans/Air TA73 Evaporator Melting
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Equipment Query EQ10-009 on December 7, 2010 and closed it on March 14, 2011. NHTSA's investigations file lists the TRANS/AIR TA73 for it and links 5 recalls to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- EQ10-009 (also written EQ10009)
- Investigation type
- Equipment Query An administrative investigation that reviews recall reports to confirm that the equipment suppliers and vehicle manufacturers involved in an equipment recall have filed the recall reports required of them.
- Status
- Closed March 14, 2011
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Trans-Air Manufacturing Corp.
- Component
- Equipment
- Recalls linked by NHTSA
- Vehicles and equipment
- TRANS/AIR TA73
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Equipment Query EQ10-009.
On June 22, 2010, Trans/Air Manufacturing (Trans/Air) reported that it had decided certain TA73 evaporators, manufactured between August 2, 1999, and May 15, 2007, contain a safety related defect.
Trans/Air reported that these evaporators contain a power resistor to regulate blower speed.
Should a short occur in the low or medium speed circuit while the blower is in high speed, the short may cause the resistor to melt and possibly ignite the plastic blower housing to which it is mounted.
A melted blower housing could result in a fire.
This issue was assigned recall number 10E-028.
On December 8, 2010, the Recall Management Division (RMD) mailed Information Request (IR) letters to 7 vehicle manufacturers on Trans/Air's customer list.
All 7 manufacturers responded to RMD's IR letter.
Glaval Bus had filed their subsequent Defect Report before receiving RMD's IR letter and it was given recall number 10V-618.
It was discovered that Coachmen RV's bus assets were purchased by a company called All American Group.
After research with Trans/Air, All American Group discovered that no past Coachmen units were affected and they were accidentally included on Trans/Air's customer list.
Trolley Enterprises responded that they had gone out of business in July 2010.
Previous employees are presently searching for any remaining customer records and will forward them to RMD if recovered.
The following Defect Reports were received as a result of this EQ:10V-637 - Micro Bird School Buses 10V-645 - Micro Bird Transit Buses 10V-641 - Elkhart Coach 10V-652 - Coach & Equipment Manufacturing Corp. 11V-091 - Double K. Inc.
This EQ is closed.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Equipment Query EQ10-009. 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.
TRANS/AIR
TRANS/AIR TA73
- model year not given
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 EQ10-009
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.