NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE18-009: Unintended aerial platform movement
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE18-009 on August 21, 2018 and closed it on April 8, 2019. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Pierce Arrow XT and 75' ALUMINUM LADDER for it and links recall 19V-022 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE18-009 (also written PE18009)
- 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 April 8, 2019
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Pierce Manufacturing
- Components
- Electrical System; Electrical System — Instrument Cluster/Panel; Electrical System — Software
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 19V-022: Aerial Device May Rotate Unintentionally, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- Pierce Arrow XT and 75' ALUMINUM LADDER
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE18-009.
This Preliminary Evaluation (PE) was opened August 21, 2018 based on 5 consumer complaints for unintended aerial platform movement on the subject vehicles. ODI complaint numbers 11101301, 11101303, 11101304, 11101305 and 11105134 allege there is a defect with the aerial ladder control mechanism that resulted unintended movement.
ODI conducted several field inspections, meeting with local fire houses and municipalities to better understand and witness the alleged defect. In addition, ODI met with Pierce and the Fleet Operations Manager of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service?s Central Fleet to discuss the known complaints, possible attributing factors and vehicles to be tested/instrumented.
On November 30, 2018 Pierce met with ODI staff at DOT headquarters and agreed that a safety defect existed on their vehicle aerial devices. The subject vehicles may unintentionally rotate right when a command to extend the aerial ladder is given. This unintentional movement is the result of faulty Random Access Memory (RAM) chip configuration on the aerial ladder controller. If the aerial device is operated in this manner it may contract an obstruction, potentially causing property damage or injury. In addition, it may hinder the ability to perform emergency functions as intended. The effected population includes 886 2004?2018 model year Pierce Arrow XT, Dash, Enforcer, Impel, Quantum and Velocity fire trucks.
This Preliminary Evaluation is closed with Safety Recall 19V-022.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE18-009. 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 PE18-009
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.