NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE07-053: INTERIOR FIRES
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE07-053 on October 29, 2007 and closed it on February 22, 2008. NHTSA's investigations file lists the New Flyer D60HF and D40LF for it and links recall 08V-053 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE07-053 (also written PE07053)
- 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 February 22, 2008
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- New Flyer of America, Inc.
- Component
- Electrical System
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 08V-053: ROOFTOP AIRCONDITIONER EVAPORATOR/FIRE/THERMO KING, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- New Flyer D60HF and D40LF
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE07-053.
THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION OPENED THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATIONBASED ON A FLEET REPORT OF 3 THERMAL EVENTS ALLEGEDLYTHE RESULT OF CONDENSATION FROM THE AIR CONDITIONER'S EVAPORATOR DRAIN HOSE SHORTING ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS AND VARIOUS ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. THE INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED TO EVALUATE AND DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THESE THERMAL EVENTS. A TECHNICAL EVALUATIONDETERMINED THAT THE DRAIN LINE FOR THE ROOFTOP EVAPORATOR UNIT CONTACTED THE BALLAST INVERTER FOR THE FLUORESCENT LIGHTING PANEL AND BECAME ABRADED.THE ABRASION OF THE DRAIN LINERESULTED IN LOW PRESSURE AND LOW VOLUMES OF MOISTURE BEING INTRODUCED INTO THE LIGHTING PANEL RESULTING IN ELECTRICAL SHORTS.NEW FLYER DECIDED TO CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.THE CORRECTIVE ACTION WILL BE TO INSTALL AN ELBOW ON THE AIR CONDITIONING DRAIN LINE WHERE IT ENTERS THE BUS INTERIOR.THIS ELBOW RELOCATES THE DRAIN LINE TO PROVIDE THE NEEDED CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE LINE AND LIGHTING COMPONENTS.THIS REMEDY RESOLVES THE ISSUE UNDER INVESTIGATION AND, THEREFORE, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE07-053. 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 PE07-053
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.