NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Recall Query RQ25-001: Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 22V887
- Open
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Recall Query RQ25-001 on June 27, 2025; NHTSA's investigations file listed it as open on October 23, 2026. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2017–2019 Proterra Catalyst for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- RQ25-001 (also written RQ25001)
- Investigation type
- Recall Query An investigation into whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or whether its remedy works, run much like a Preliminary Evaluation.
- Status
- Open since June 27, 2025
- Opened
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Phoenix Motorcars
- Component
- Electrical System — Propulsion System — Traction Battery
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2017–2019 Proterra Catalyst
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Recall Query RQ25-001.
In November 2022, Proterra Operating Company, Inc. (Proterra) filed a safety recall (NHTSA recall 22V887) covering nineteen 2017-2019 Proterra Catalyst transit buses to address the potential of liquid accumulation in the 400-volt battery packs, increasing the risk of a fire. On December 16, 2022, Proterra mailed an interim owner notification letter stating that Proterra would physically inspect and analyze each recalled battery pack.
In October 2023, Proterra amended their filing to now cover 300 vehicles, with a final remedy plan of updating the battery monitoring software. According to the final remedy documents from Proterra, should liquid be detected within the battery pack, the updated software would illuminate a warning light in the driver's dash display, prevent the batteries from being charged, and reduce the maximum speed of the buses.
As of the most recent recall completion rate report, 109 of the 300 buses (36.3%) have received the software update. In August 2023, Proterra declared bankruptcy, with its the three major business areas going to three separate companies.
Phoenix Motorcars assumed liability for recall 22V887. On June 5, 2025, a fire occurred at the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) decommissioning lot.
Local officials stated that the fire initiated in a battery pack of one of the Proterra buses. The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening this Recall Query (RQ) to evaluate the remedy effectiveness of recall 22V887 and to further understand the effects of nearly two-thirds of the affected population having not yet received the recall remedy.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Recall Query RQ25-001. 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.
Proterra
All Proterra 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 RQ25-001
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.