NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE06-026: OVER STRESSED BATTERY CABLES

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE06-026 on July 10, 2006 and closed it on August 31, 2006. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2004–2007 Blue Bird Vision for it and links recall 06V-261 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: PE06-026 (also written PE06026)
Investigation type: Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
Status: Closed August 31, 2006
Opened: July 10, 2006
Closed: August 31, 2006
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer: Blue Bird Body Company
Component: Electrical System — 12V/24V/48V Battery — Cables
Recall linked by NHTSA: 06V-261: POWER CABLE TOO SHORT/BREAKS, reported July 17, 2006
Vehicles and equipment: 2004–2007 Blue Bird Vision

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE06-026.

THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED AFTER ODI WAS NOTIFIED BY THE GSA AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING DIVISION THAT THEY HAVE HAD THREE INCIDENTS WHERE ABATTERY CABLE TERMINAL END FAILED. GSA REPORTED THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE AS BEING TOO SHORT AND BEING STRESSED DURING NORMAL OPERATION RESULTING IN A COMPLETE SEPARATION.THIS COULD LEAD TO AN ENGINE SHUT DOWN OR POSSIBLY A THERMAL EVENT IF THECABLE SHORTS TO A GROUND SOURCE UPON FAILURE.BLUEBIRD HAS FILED A SAFETY DEFECT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. THE ORIGINAL CABLE WILL BE REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH A LONGER BATTERY CABLE. THE AMMETER SHUNT MOUNTING WILL ALSO BE UPGRADED ON ALL BUSES DELIVERED THROUGH JULY 12, 2006.

THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSE.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE06-026. 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.

Blue Bird

Blue Bird Vision
- 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007

All Blue Bird recalls

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 PE06-026

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.