FL987 – Loss of Drive Power from Unsecured Inverter Cable – 2024 Thomas Built SAF-T-LINER C2 Jouley & 2023-2024 FCCC MT50E Electric Transit Buses

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OMB Control No.: 2127-0004
Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23V-879
The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573
Manufacturer Name : Submission Date :
Daimler Trucks North America, LLC DEC 21, 2023 NHTSA Recall No. : 23V-879 Manufacturer Recall No. : FL987 Manufacturer Information :
Manufacturer Name : Daimler Trucks North America, LLC Address : 4747 N. Channel Avenue
Portland OR 97217-3849
Company phone : 800-745-8000 Population :
Number of potentially involved : 26 Estimated percentage with defect : 100 % Vehicle Information : Vehicle 1 : 2024-2024 Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-LINER C2 JOULEY Vehicle Type : BUSES, MEDIUM & HEAVY VEHICLES Body Style : OTHER Power Train : HYBRID ELECTRIC
Descriptive Information : In certain MT50E and Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley electric buses equipped with a specific high voltage junction box, fasteners at the joint connecting the high voltage inverter cable to the associated hardware may have been under torqued. Vehicles outside the recall population are equipped with a different type of high voltage junction box.
Production Dates : APR 18, 2023 – MAY 26, 2023
VIN Range 1 : Begin : NR End : NR Not sequential Vehicle 2 : 2023-2024 FCCC MT50E
Vehicle Type : BUSES, MEDIUM & HEAVY VEHICLES Body Style : OTHER Power Train : HYBRID ELECTRIC
Descriptive Information : In certain MT50E and Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley electric buses equipped with a specific high voltage junction box, fasteners at the joint connecting the high voltage inverter cable to the associated hardware may have been under torqued. Vehicles outside the recall population are equipped with a different type of high voltage junction box.
Production Dates : JUN 13, 2022 – OCT 12, 2023
VIN Range 1 : Begin : NR End : NR Not sequential Description of Defect :
Description of the Defect : In certain model year 2023 and 2024 FCCC MT50E and TBB Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley electric buses equipped with a specific high voltage junction box, fasteners at the joint connecting the high voltage inverter cable to the
associated hardware may have been under torqued. Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23V-879 Page 2 FMVSS 1 : NR FMVSS 2 : NR
Description of the Safety Risk : On the affected vehicles, if the joint is under torqued, when power is sent to the high voltage inverter cable, this may result in electrical arcing between the high voltage inverter cable and hardware. If arcing is detected, the high voltage system is designed to shut down power to the vehicle which in this case could lead to loss of motive power without prior warning, increasing the risk of crash.
Description of the Cause : During the production process, fasteners on an inverter cable in the high voltage junction box were under torqued. Identification of Any Warning
that can Occur : No warning or detectability. Involved Components : Component Name 1 : High Voltage Junction Box
Component Description : Power Distribution Unit (High Voltage) Component Part Number : 66-28043-000 Component Name 2 : High Voltage Junction Box
Component Description : Power Distribution Unit (High Voltage) Component Part Number : 66-28042-000 Supplier Identification : Component Manufacturer
Name : Daimler Truck North America Address : 4555 N Channel Avenue
Portland Oregon 97217
Country : United States Chronology :
On or around December 19, 2023, in the course of developing a remedy for an existing school bus recall (23V-846), DTNA learned that a design change to the high voltage junction box involved in that recall had The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573 Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23V-879
Page 3
The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573
occurred without a corresponding change in torque value. As a result of this information, DTNA identified that the fasteners on the high voltage junction box joint for a small number of non-school buses built on a separate assembly line may also have been insufficiently torqued. DTNA immediately captured units still within the manufacturing plants to correct the torque values. On December 20, 2023, DTNA determined that a safety- related defect may exist in these vehicles.
Description of Remedy :
Description of Remedy Program : DTNA is preparing the remedy which is currently under development.
Repairs will be performed free of charge by Daimler Truck North America authorized service facilities. Details of the reimbursement plan will be included in the owner’s notification letter. Owners are directed to seek reimbursement through authorized dealers. How Remedy Component Differs from Recalled Component :
Identify How/When Recall Condition was Corrected in Production : Vehicles that receive the recall remedy will have sufficiently torqued fasteners in the high voltage junction box.
A digital torque tool was implemented in production to record and verify the torque on this joint as of November 20, 2023. Recall Schedule :
Description of Recall Schedule : Customer notification will be made by first class mail using Daimler
Trucks North America records to determine the customers affected.
Planned Dealer Notification Date : FEB 12, 2024 – FEB 12, 2024
Planned Owner Notification Date : FEB 12, 2024 – FEB 12, 2024
* NR – Not Reported

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Date: 01/03/2024 Subject: Stop Delivery Order: Safety Recall FL987 SAFETY RECALL NOTICE On December 14, 2023, Daimler Truck North America (“DTNA”) filed a Defect Information Report (“DIR”) with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) and/or a Defect Information Notice (“DIN”) with Transport Canada (“TC”) informing the agencies of our intent to conduct a voluntary safety recall. It is a violation of federal law for a dealer to deliver a new motor vehicle or any new or used item of motor vehicle equipment (including a tire) covered by this notification under a sale or lease until the defect or noncompliance is remedied. Some of the vehicles subject to this “Stop Delivery Order” may be in your new vehicle inventory. Until further instructions are available, new vehicles subject to this “Stop Delivery Order” must be held and not delivered to customers. DTNA strongly recommends that dealers and distributors remedy all recalls before selling used vehicles. For any used vehicle with an open recall not remedied before sale, DTNA requires that the dealer or distributor notify prospective buyers of the open recall. Affected vehicles in FL983:
Make
Model
Model Year: Start
Model Year End
Prod. Start Date
Prod. End Date
Thomas Built Bus
SAF-T-LINER C2 Jouley
2023
2025
02/28/2022
10/18/2023
Freightliner Custom Chassis
MT50E
2023
2024
06/13/2022
10/12/2023
Problem: In certain vehicles equipped with a specific high voltage junction box, fasteners at the joint connecting the high voltage inverter cable to the associated hardware may have been under torqued.
Solution: TBB is preparing the remedy which is currently under development.
Owner Notification Mailing Schedule: 02/12/2024

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P.O. Box 4090
Portland, OR 97208-4090
800.547.0712 Phone
503.745.9009 Fax
Daimler
Daimler Truck North Americ
Truck North America LLC
Notice of Submission of Defect Information Report/Notice (DIR/DIN
Subject: High Voltage Junction Box Inverter Cable
C
WARRANTY CAMPAIGNS DEPARTMENT
Enclosure
Daimler Truck North America has determined that a safety-related defect exists in certain chassis manufactured by Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation and delivered to your company. As the incomplete vehicle manufacturer of these products, Daimler Truck North America is unable to provide the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and/or Transport Canada with the information necessary to fully describe the vehicles potentially containing this defect as required by Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 573.6(c)(2) and/or Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations Section 15(1)(b). Your company may have an obligation to report this information.
The attached Defect Information Report and Defect Information Notice were filed with the appropriate government agencies. Please refer to these notices for details regarding the nature of the defect, the remedy, and the expected date when the remedy without charge will be available to owners. Daimler Truck North America will be conducting this recall and filing the quarterly reports required by Title 49 CFR §573.7 and/or MVSR §15(3). Repairs will be performed by authorized Daimler Truck North America repair facilities.
A preliminary list of potentially affected vehicles delivered to you is included.
This is the first letter in regard to this recall that you will receive. You will receive another notice when Daimler Truck North America notifies its dealers and owners that a remedy without charge for this issue is available.
If you have questions regarding this notice, please contact the Warranty Campaigns Dept. at (800) 547-0712, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday, e-mail: dtna.warranty.campagins@daimlertruck.com.
January 2024
FL987
NHTSA #23V-846 (school bus)
#23V-879 (commerc )
TC #2023-696 (commercial)

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