NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE10-018: Engine Compartment Fires
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE10-018 on May 27, 2010 and closed it on July 9, 2010. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2008–2010 Blue Bird Vision for it and links 6 recalls to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE10-018 (also written PE10018)
- 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 July 9, 2010
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Blue Bird Body Company
- Component
- Fuel System, Other — Fuel Injection System
- Recalls linked by NHTSA
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2008–2010 Blue Bird Vision
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE10-018.
This investigation was opened after ODI became aware of four engine compartment fires allegedly related to fuel leakage from the engine's fuel injector system.
ODI conducted field examinations and communicated the identified concerns to Blue Bird.
ODI also had discussions with Caterpillar, the engine manufacturer.
On June 28th, 2010, Blue Bird filed two safety defect reports with NHTSA to address fuel lines that may crack at the fastening point to the common fuel rail. Safety recall campaign 10V-289 involves 3,686 school buses and safety recall campaign 10V-290 involves 103 non-school bus vehicles. The subject vehicles were equipped with the Caterpillar C-7-07 engine and it was determined that clamping of the #5 fuel line to the #6 fuel line and assembly stresses caused the #6 fuel line to fail. The remedy consist of replacing the #5 and #6 fuel lines and adding a new clamp to # 5 fuel line. Simultaneously with Blue Bird's decision to conduct the above recalls, Caterpillar Inc. filed a safety recall (10E-025) with NHTSA to perform the same remedy on 5,920 C7 series engines.
Blue Bird engines are included in the Caterpillar recall.
These recalls resolve the issues raised by this investigation. Therefore, this investigation is closed.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE10-018. 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
All Blue Bird recallsWhat 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 PE10-018
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.