Possible Loss of Drive System and Power Steering – PowerDrive EV Drivetrain – Cummins

February 4, 2020 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20E003000

Possible Loss of Drive System and Power Steering

A sudden loss of drive power and loss of power steering increases the risk of a crash.

 

NHTSA Campaign Number: 20E003

Manufacturer Cummins Inc.

Components POWER TRAIN

Potential Number of Units Affected 76

 

Summary

Cummins Inc. (Cummins) is recalling certain PowerDrive EV drivetrains, part numbers 4000EV, 6000EV, and 7000EV sold for installation in school buses, step vans and medium-duty trucks. A connector within the wire harnesses may become unplugged and cause loss of communication between control modules, resulting in sudden loss of drive power and power steering.

 

Remedy

Cummins will notify the vehicle manufacturers that purchased the units, and Cummins will install a cable tie on the connector to maintain the connector locking tab in the locked position, free of charge. The recall began March 12, 2020. Owners may contact Cummins customer service at 1-800-286-6467.

 

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

 

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R20AL

IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL NOTICE

NHTSA Recall Number:   20V-074 School Bus

 

DATE: March 12, 2020

Dear Blue Bird Owner:

SUBJECT: RECALL R20AL, Cummins Power Drive EV Wiring Harness Connection Failure        

 

This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

This important safety recall notice applies to your bus(es) identified by both Blue Bird Body Number and Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the enclosed yellow cover sheet. If you no longer own the subject bus(es), please complete the appropriate section of the yellow cover sheet and return to Blue Bird in the enclosed pink postage prepaid envelope.

Blue Bird Body Company is recalling certain model year 2018-2019 Vision School Buses manufactured from January 19, 2019 through September 9, 2019, and certain model year 2018-2019 All American School Buses manufactured from August 1, 2018 through January 30, 2020.  On the subject buses, Blue Bird and Cummins have determined that certain Vision and All American electric school buses sold with PowerDrive 7000 EV electric drivetrain units, a connector within the wire harnesses installed in the subject EV drivetrains may be susceptible to becoming unplugged. If the connector becomes unplugged, under certain circumstances the communication between control modules may be lost and the system may command off the high voltage contactors, resulting in unexpected loss of all systems powered by high voltage, including the traction drive system and power steering.  A sudden and simultaneous loss of motive power and loss of power steering may increase the risk of a crash.

To correct this condition, Cummins will arrange to have the remedy performed that addresses this condition. The remedy is to install a cable tie around the connector body, routed under the connector locking tab, forcing it into the locked position so that it cannot unplug. Cummins will work directly with affected customers and a limited number of service engineers and field technicians to implement the remedy.  Cummins expects to be able to immediately begin working with vehicle owners to have the remedy installed on their school buses.  The remedy will be performed free of charge and will take four hours to complete.

Federal law requires that any vehicle lessor receiving this recall notice must forward a copy of this notice to the lessee within ten days.

 

Reimbursements will be made in accordance with the requirements of the National Highway Transportation Safety Act, Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 573 and 577.

If Blue Bird Body Company should fail to or is unable to remedy this condition without charge to you, you may contact:

ADMINISTRATOR
NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION
1200 NEW JERSEY AVENUE, SE
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590

Or, you may call The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration toll free at: 1-888-327-4236    TTY 1-800-424-9153 or go to: http:/www.safercar.gov

 

BLUE BIRD BODY COMPANY
3920 Arkwright Road, Suite 200, Macon, GA  31210 – (478) 825-2021

 

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*** IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL *** NHTSA Recall No. 20E-003

 

February 5, 2020

We are writing to inform you that Cummins Inc. has determined that a safety-related defect exists in certain Power Drive 4000EV/6000EV/7000EV drivetrain systems that were manufactured between June 7, 2018 and October 24, 2019.  Cummins has initiated a recall of the subject systems.  Our records indicate that some these systems were shipped to you.

A copy of Cummins’ initial Part 573 Defect Notification report is enclosed.  This notification was submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on February 4, 2020.  As more fully described in the Defect Notification, the system may unexpectedly command off the high voltage contactors, resulting in unexpected loss of all systems powered by high voltage, including the traction drive system and power steering.  A sudden and simultaneous loss of motive power and loss of power steering may increase the risk of a crash.

Enclosed is a list of systems that our records indicate were shipped to your plants.  For systems installed in vehicles that have left your control, we encourage you to make a safety defect determination in accordance with 49 USC 30118 et seq. and, as appropriate, to submit a Defect Notification to NHTSA in accordance with 49 CFR Part 573.  Cummins will conduct the recall, including notifying owners pursuant to 49 CFR Part 577, performing the remedy, and submitting quarterly status reports to NHTSA.  Cummins is requesting that you provide the associated vehicle model identification, VINs and owner contact information to facilitate owner notification.  Please work with your Cummins account team leader to ensure that the requested information is provided to Cummins as soon as possible.

 

For systems/vehicles that are still in your inventory, please contact – to arrange for repairs.  Please note that Federal law prohibits delivery of these systems, or vehicles equipped with these systems, under a sale or lease until this condition has been remedied.

Cummins apologizes for this inconvenience, but we are initiating this action in the interest of our customers’ safety and satisfaction with our products.  Thank you for your assistance.

 

Please confirm receipt of this communication.

 

Sincerely,
Cummins Inc.

 

Enclosures:

1. Cummins Part 573 Defect Notification
2. List of PowerDrive EV systems

 

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1 Affected Product

Equipment

BRAND	PART NO.	PRODUCTION DATES
CUMMINS	POWERDRIVE EV

 

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14 Associated Documents

Miscellaneous Document – 20E-003 1Q2020 Qtrly Report Supplement

RMISC-20E003-1985.pdf 163.353KB

 

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Recall Quarterly Report #1, 2020-1

RCLQRT-20E003-9089.PDF 211.125KB

 

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Recall 573 Report – AMENDMENT 1

RCLRPT-20E003-9510.PDF 215.698KB

 

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ISSUED Owner Notification Letter(Part 577)

RCONL-20E003-1792.pdf 538.156KB

 

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Miscellaneous Document – 20E-003 2Q2020 Qtrly Report Supplement

RMISC-20E003-8424.pdf 164.219KB

 

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Recall Quarterly Report #2, 2020-2

RCLQRT-20E003-9726.pdf 210.932KB

 

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Recall Acknowledgement

RCAK-20E003-2472.pdf 244.254KB

 

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Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc)

RCMN-20E003-7457.pdf 124.934KB

 

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Defect Notice 573 Report

RCLRPT-20E003-7076.PDF 215.567KB

 

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Remedy Instructions and TSB

RCRIT-20E003-7585.pdf 2902.881KB

 

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Miscellaneous Document-20E-003 3Q2020 Qtrly Report Supplement

RMISC-20E003-8601.pdf 163.656KB

 

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Recall Quarterly Report #3, 2020-3

RCLQRT-20E003-3309.PDF 211.307KB

 

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Miscellaneous Document – 20E-003 4Q2020 Qtrly Report Supplement

RMISC-20E003-5961.pdf 165.265KB

 

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Recall Quarterly Report #4, 2020-4

RCLQRT-20E003-0092.PDF 211.415KB

 

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Latest Recalls Documents

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/documentList.xhtml?docId=20E003&docType=RCL

 

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