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NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Equipment Query EQ10-010: Norcold Refrigerator Fires

  • Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Equipment Query EQ10-010 on December 14, 2010 and closed it on January 9, 2012. NHTSA's investigations file lists 4 Norcold models for it and links 23 recalls to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number
EQ10-010 (also written EQ10010)
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 January 9, 2012
Opened
Closed
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
Norcold Inc.
Component
Equipment — Recreational Vehicle/Trailer
Recalls linked by NHTSA
Vehicles and equipment
4 Norcold models, including the 1200 and 1201

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Equipment Query EQ10-010.

try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.

On October 7, 2010 Norcold, Inc. (Norcold) notified the NHTSA that it had decided certain 1200 series refrigerators, manufactured between January 1, 2003, and October 6, 2010, contain a safety related defect.

Norcold stated that certain refrigerators contain either a sensing algorithm or a thermal switch to interrupt power to the refrigerator when it detects high temperatures that could lead to a fire.

Norcold intends to install a thermocouple to improve the response time of this high temperature detection and further reduce the possibility of fire within these units.

Should a fire occur within a refrigerator installed into a recreational vehicle, both personal injury and property damage are possible.

This issue was assigned recall number 10E-049.

On December 14, 2010, the Recall Management Division (RMD) mailed an information request (IR) letter to Norcold requesting a list of customers who purchased the same or similar defective refrigerators.

Norcold responded to RMD's IR letter on December 21, 2010, with a list of companies that were further sold this equipment.

On January 3, 2011, RMD mailed IR letters to 55 companies from Norcold's customer list known to manufacture vehicles or alter new vehicles.

On August 8, 2011, RMD mailed another IR to 6 companies that did not respond to the first request for information.

In total, 39 companies filed responses with RMD.Of those companies that responded, 23 filed Defect Reports with NHTSA and conducted safety recalls for their affected vehicles.12 companies responded that they did not install the defective refrigerators into new motor vehicles.

One company, Gulfstream Coach Inc., filed their Part 573 Report prior to the opening of this EQ.Three companies, Country Coach Corp., Trail Lite, and H&H Trailer Company, responded that their companies were previously liquidated and their new companies did have the needed records to conduct safety recalls. Of the IR letters mailed, 12 letters were undeliverable due to companies now out of business.

Four companies, Elite Trailer, Inc., Mathees Enterprises, Nashville Coach, Inc., and Rexhall Industries did not file a written response with RMD despite being contacted multiple times.

RMD will refer this matter to the Office of the Chief Counsel (NCC) for further enforcement activity as appropriate.

The following companies submitted the appropriate Part 573 Report for their affected vehicles:ALUMINUM TRAILER COMPANY (11V-233) COACHMEN RV COMPANY, LLC (11V-065) DYNAMAX CORPORATION(11V-069) FLEETWOOD RV, INC.(11V-074) FOREST RIVER, INC.(11V-152) GEOMARC, INC.,(11V-231) HAULMARK MOTOR COACH(11V-269) KING OF THE ROAD(11V-085) KZRV, L.P.(11V-022) MARATHON HOMES CORP.(11V-080) NEW HORIZONS RV CORPORATION(11V-140) NEWMAR CORPORATION(11V-235) NRC MODIFICATIONS, INC.(11V-073) SHOWHAULER TRUCKS INC.(11V-103) SIERRA CUSTOM INTERIORS(11V-171) SPACE CRAFT MFG. INC.(11V-052) SUPERIOR COACH INTERIORS, INC.(11V-449) T&E ENTERPRISES(11V-075) TECHWORKS INC.(11V-484) TRAIL BOSS CONVERSIONS, INC.(11V-083) TRAVEL UNITS INC.(11V-056) TRIPLE E RECREATIONAL VEHICLES(11V-138) UNITED SPECIALTIES INC.(11V-087)A summary of IR responses can be found attached with this closing resume.

This EQ is closed.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Equipment Query EQ10-010. 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.

Norcold

  • Norcold 1200

    • model year not given

  • Norcold 1201

    • model year not given

  • Norcold 1210

    • model year not given

  • Norcold 1211

    • 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 EQ10-010

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.