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NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE21-011: Alternator Front Bearing Failure

  • Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE21-011 on May 13, 2021 and closed it on October 3, 2022. NHTSA's investigations file lists 19 models from 2 makes for it and links 3 recalls to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number
PE21-011 (also written PE21011)
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 October 3, 2022
Opened
Closed
Vehicle or equipment manufacturers
Prevost Car (US) Inc.; redundant PREVOST CAR, INC. Inactive; Volvo Bus Corporation
Component
Electrical System — Alternator/Generator/Regulator
Recalls linked by NHTSA
  • 22V-221: Alternator Belt May Overheat Seized Bearing, reported
  • 22V-222: Alternator Belt May Overheat Seized Bearing, reported
  • 22E-030 (NHTSA record)
Vehicles and equipment
19 models from 2 makes, including the Prevost H3-45 and Prevost H3-45 VIP

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE21-011.

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation after reviewing field reports concerning alternator front bearing failures that cause elevated temperatures within the engine compartment, resulting in the fire suppression system (FSS) activating, immediately shutting the engine down, and rendering the bus inoperable.

Analysis of the data provided by Prevost Car (US) Inc. showed high failure frequency and thermal events. An immediate shutdown of the bus can increase the risk of a crash or injury of bus occupants. In response to this investigation, Prevost Car (US) Inc. and Volvo Bus Corporation decided to conduct recalls 22V-221 and 22V-222. By submitting Part 573 Defect Information Reports on April 6, 2022, Prevost Car (US) Inc. and Volvo Bus Corporation notified ODI of a safety defect in certain model year (MY) 2010-2023 Prevost H3-45; X3-45; X3-45 Com; H3-45 VIP: X3-45 VIP and 2020 Volvo 9700 vehicles; some of these buses may have experienced thermal events after failure of the alternator front bearing, because the alternator belt continues to turn the alternator after the bearing failure.

These recall actions address the safety concern that led to the opening of this investigation.

Therefore, with these recall actions, this investigation is closed. The recalls encompass all model and MY vehicles addressed by the investigation. However, the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist in other model or MY vehicles outside of the recall scope. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE21-011. 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.

Prevost

All Prevost recalls

Volvo Bus

All Volvo Bus 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 PE21-011

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.