NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE09-001: ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE09-001 on January 5, 2009 and closed it on March 4, 2009. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2006–2008 Blue Bird Vision for it and links recall 09V-055 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: PE09-001 (also written PE09001)
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 March 4, 2009
Opened: January 5, 2009
Closed: March 4, 2009
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer: Blue Bird Body Company
Component: Electrical System — 12V/24V/48V Battery — Cables
Recall linked by NHTSA: 09V-055: BATTERY POWER CABLE CHAFING/FIRE, reported February 17, 2009
Vehicles and equipment: 2006–2008 Blue Bird Vision

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE09-001.

THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED AFTER ODI LEARNED ABOUT A FIREALLEGED TO HAVE STARTED FROM THE MAIN BATTERY CABLE CHAFING AT THE REAR OF THE ENGINE.THE SUBJECT BUS WAS A NEW 2008 MODEL AND THE BATTERY CABLE RUNS FROM THE ELECTRICAL JUNCTION BLOCK TO THE BATTERY.THE PROBLEM ONLY AFFECTS BUSES EQUIPPED WITH THE CATERPILLAR ENGINE.SUBSEQUENT FIELD INSPECTIONS FOUND BATTERY CABLES ON TWO OTHER BUSES SHOWING SIGNS OF ABRASIONAGAINST THE REAR OF THE ENGINE.ON FEBRUARY 16, 2009, BLUE BIRD FILED A SAFETY RECALL TO INSPECT ALL INVOLVED BUSES. BLUE BIRD WILL INSPECT THE BATTERY POWER CABLES AT THE REAR OF THE ENGINE ON THE SUSPECT BUSES AND CORRECT THE PROBLEM AS NECESSARY.THIS RECALL ACTION RESOLVES THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION. ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE09-001. 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
- 2006, 2007, 2008

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 PE09-001

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.