SV-ZMC-018-383 – Internal Cells in Battery may Short Causing Fire – 2012 Zero S, Zero DS, and Zero DSP (Police) Motorcycles

April 4, 2018 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V215000

Internal Cells in Battery may Short Causing Fire

An electrical short can increase the risk of a fire.

 

NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V215

Manufacturer Zero Motorcycles Inc.

Components ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM

Potential Number of Units Affected 218

 

Summary

Zero Motorcycles (Zero) is recalling all 2012 Zero S, Zero DS, and Zero DSP (Police) motorcycles. Cell pouches in the battery packs may wear from contact with the holders, allowing humidity to enter the pouch and cause an electrical short within the battery.

 

Remedy

Zero Motorcycles will notify owners and offer them a choice of either the repurchase of their motorcycle or a financial trade-assist towards a newer model year Zero Motorcycles motorcycle. The recall began on April 30, 2018. Owners may contact Zero customer service at 1-888-841-8085. Zero’s number for this recall is SV-ZMC-018-383. Note: Since owners are advised to no longer ride or charge the affected motorcycles, Zero Motorcycles dealers will arrange for the collection of the affected motorcycle at no charge to the owners.

 

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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SERVICE BULLETIN (VERSION 2):

2012 SDS Power Pack Recall (Safety Recall TSB Code ZMC-018-383)

NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V-215

 

Purpose

Zero Motorcycles Inc. has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists on 2012 model year Zero S, DS and DSP motorcycles. The root cause is a design defect by the manufacturer, Energy Innovation Group (“EIG”), with their battery cells and their holders. In the interest of motor vehicle safety and customer satisfaction, Zero Motorcycles has elected to initiate a voluntary recall (NH TSA Campaign 18V-215) to remedy this defect.

The cell pouches within the battery packs of the subject vehicles may wear against their holders, which may lead to a breach of their outer layers, allowing humidity to penetrate the pouch. Should humidity penetrate a pouch, this may lead to cell separator decay, which could allow an intemal short within the cell. An electrical short can increase the risk of a fire.

Due to the fact that the design of these Model Year 2012 cells and their holders has not been changed by the manufacturer, EIG, relative to these specific concerns, and these cells and battery pack architecture are unique to the 2012 model year Zero Motorcycles Models S, DS and DSP, Zero is unable to replace the battery pack as a solution. As a result, Zero Motorcycles will repurchase motorcycles based on their fair market value. In the alternative, owners can elect to accept a financial trade-assist, with a value greater than this fair market value, towards a newer model year Zero Motorcycles motorcycle as a solution. Zero Motorcycles is instructing owners of these affected motorcycles to follow the procedure outlined in the Sample Owner Communication letter in Appendix I of this service bulletin and work with their nearest dealer in order to confirm their repurchase or trade-assist choice. Zero Motorcycles has contracted with Urgently to facilitate the collection of these motorcycles in North America at no charge to owners. In the meantime, we strongly urge dealers and owners not to ride or charge these motorcycles.

Due to the nature of this recall, you should neither sell nor deliver any affected motorcycles to customers.

 

Applicable Models

The recall population of 218 model year 2012 motorcycles includes:

• Quantity 80 2012 model year Zero DS model motorcycles built 10/21/11 through 6/25/12, non-sequential VIN range 538SD3M39CCB00002 to 538SD3M38CCB00248.
• Quantity 130 2012 model year Zero S model motorcycles built 10/21/11 through 6/29/12, non-sequential VIN range 538SM3M32CCA00002 to 538SM3M30CCA00337.
• Quantity 8 2012 model year Zero DSP model motorcycles built 10/21/11 through 7/23/12, non-sequential VIN range 538SD3M30CCB00003 to 538SD3M34CCB00277.

This covers the entire range of motorcycles potentially containing the subject defect.

 

Description of When Condition was in Production

Zero Motorcycles only used the suspect cell and cell holder manufacturer and battery pack architecture for its 2012 Model Year Zero S, Zero DS and Zero DSP models, and switched to a completely different cell manufacturer and architecture for its 2013 and later Model Years. Model year 2011 and earlier Zero Motorcycles also had a completely different architecture and supplier.

 

Description of Current Battery Packs Versus Recall Battery Packs

The Model Year 2012 Zero S, Zero DS and Zero DSP recall battery packs have a unique architecture where the cells are allowed to move within their holders and are thus subject to their specific vehicle and battery pack dynamics. These cells are also exposed to atmosphere. Since Model Year 2013, Zero Motorcycles has used a different cell manufacturer and a completely different battery pack architecture, which has the cells permanently potted within modules, with no need for individual cell holders. Without the potential for relative motion against a holder or exposure to atmosphere, the cell protective layers cannot wear, nor can humidity come in contact with the cells.

 

Customer Notification

In accordance with Federal regulations administered by NHTSA, Zero Motorcycles will send a letter to registered owners of affected products, notifying them of this safety-related condition. A sample of the customer letter is attached as Appendix I to this Service Bulletin. Zero will also try to contact these customers via email.

To protect the safety of our riders, it is our mutual responsibility to ensure the recall is communicated to all owners.

Therefore, we strongly encourage you reach out to your customers to make sure that they are aware of this program. You are also required by law to perform the recall remedy on all affected motorcycles in your inventory.

If you are aware of any unregistered owners of this affected motorcycle population, please advise us of their names, addresses, and VINs, so that we may mail them the owner’s letter, as required by NHTSA.

Cases have been created in our Partner Community (https://partner.zeromotorcvcles.com ) specific to each affected motorcycle. You may search by VIN to find these cases as necessary. If you remain unsure whether this safety recall applies to a particular motorcycle, please contact Zero Motorcycles Customer Service for verification.

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IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL NOTICE

 

This notice applies to your vehicle VIN#
Recall SV-ZMC-018-383 / NHTSA Recall #18V215

 

April 30, 2018

 

Dear Zero Motorcycles Owner,

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

Zero Motorcycles has decided that a defect, which relates to motor vehicle safety, exists on 2012 Model Year Zero S, Zero DS and Zero DSP model motorcycles built between October 21, 2011 and August 24, 2012. Due to a design defect by the cell and cell holder manufacturer, the cell pouches within the battery packs of these subject vehicles may wear against their holders, which may lead to a breach of their outer layers, allowing humidity to penetrate the pouch. Should humidity penetrate a pouch, this may lead to cell separator decay, which could allow an internal short within the cell. An electrical short can increase the risk of a fire.

Our records indicate that you purchased one of the motorcycles listed above.

Due to the fact that the design of these Model Year 2012 cells and their holders has not been changed by the manufacturer, Energy Innovation Group Ltd. (“EIG”), relative to these specific concerns, and these cells and battery pack architecture are unique to the 2012 Model Year Zero Motorcycles Models S, DS and DSP, Zero is unable to replace the battery pack as a solution. As a result, Zero Motorcycles will repurchase your motorcycle based on its fair market value.

(“Fair Market Value” is defined as the “Blue Book Retail Value” calculated by reference to Kelly Blue Book values. It does not include the cost of any modifications you may have made to your motorcycle, unless you can provide verification that the modification was part of your original vehicle purchase. If your motorcycle has any Zero-approved accessories, these will be taken into consideration.)

In the alternative, you can elect to accept a financial trade-assist with a value greater than this fair market value towards a newer Model Year Zero Motorcycles motorcycle.

The procedure you should follow to obtain your choice of the above remedies is provided in Appendix A to this letter and includes details related to the collection of your motorcycle at no charge to you. In the meantime, we strongly urge you not to ride or charge your motorcycle.

If you no longer own this motorcycle, please contact us at 1-888-841-8085 so we may update our records and notify the new owner. Federal regulation requires that any vehicle lessor receiving this recall notice must forward a copy of this notice to the lessee within ten days.

If you have had this defect repaired before you received this letter, you may be eligible to receive reimbursement for the cost of obtaining a pre-notification remedy of the problem associated with this recall. For more information contact Zero Motorcycles at 1888-841-8085.

If your dealer or Zero Motorcycles fails or is unable to remedy your motorcycle without charge or within a reasonable time, you may submit a complaint to the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20590, or call the toll-free hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-4249153); or go to https://www.safercar.gov.

We regret any inconvenience this may cause you, but we are initiating this action in the interest of your personal safety and satisfaction with our products. Thank you for your cooperation.

 

Sincerely,

 

Aaron Cheatham
Director of Customer Service
Zero Motorcycles Inc.

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APPENDIX A

2012 SDS BATTERY PACK RECALL REMEDY PROCEDURE

 

In order to receive your choice of remedies as a result of this recall, Zero Motorcycles asks that you follow the steps below. Please note that you must be the current registered owner of the motorcycle, and the motorcycle must include the battery pack in order to be eligible. If you have any questions regarding this process, please contact the Zero Hero or service department at your nearest Zero Motorcycles authorized dealer. If you are unsure of the location of the nearest dealer, please use our dealer locator on our website:

 

https://www.zeromotorcycles.com/locator/

 

If you need additional assistance or have unanswered questions, you may also contact our customer service team directly at 1-888-841-8085 or via email at [email protected].

 

Document the current condition, mileage and ownership of your motorcycle	Please take pictures of the motorcycle’s left and right sides. Also, take a picture of the current mileage as shown on the odometer and the VIN#538SM3M35CCA00317 as etched on a raised plate on the right front of the head tube. Finally, if you have any Zero Motorcycles approved accessories, please include pictures of those. Confirm that you have the current title for the motorcycle and it reflects your ownership. Please take a picture of the front and rear of your title document. We ask you to submit these pictures, your Case #00029617 and the current odometer reading online via the 2012 SDS Battery Pack Recall link provided on the Owner Resources section of our website at: https://www.zeromotorcycles.com/owner-resources/   If you have any challenges obtaining this information or uploading these pictures, your dealer can assist you with this process, and can help confirm the process of obtaining a duplicate title in your state or province.  They can also upload this information to our website on your behalf. If your motorcycle has been financed or is currently the subject of a lien, you will need to provide additional information including contact information for the lienholder and a 15-day payoff amount.
Arrange for collection of your motorcycle	Zero Motorcycles has contracted with Urgently to facilitate the collection of motorcycles in North America at no cost to you. Beginning on May 10, 2018, please contact Urgent.ly via the toll free phone number (833) 260-5343 and provide the last seven digits of the VIN #538SM3M35CCA00317 of your motorcycle and your Case #00029617. They will schedule a time with you to have your motorcycle picked up.
Confirm your choice of remedy with the dealer	Once the dealer receives your motorcycle and confirms all required information has been collected and verified, they will contact you to confirm your choice of remedy and the compensation that you will receive. If you choose the repurchase remedy, you will receive an amount equal to or better than the fair market value of your motorcycle, which we determined using current Kelly Blue Book values for 2012 Zero S and DS motorcycles that are fully reconditioned and in excellent condition. Based on this information from KBB, if you own a Zero S or DS with the ZF6 battery pack, you will receive $5,080 unless the motorcycle has a salvage title or has been substantially damaged or altered, in which case you will receive $2,540; if you own a Zero S or DS with the ZF9 battery pack, you will receive $6,040 unless the motorcycle has a salvage title or has been substantially damaged or altered, in which case you will receive $3,020. If you purchased any Zero Motorcycles approved accessories and you submit pictures of them, you will receive an additional amount equal to 50% of the original manufacturer’s suggested retail price. For those who choose the financial trade assist remedy, you will receive a voucher for the fair market value specified above plus an additional $1,000 that can be used toward the purchase of a new Zero motorcycle.
Steps to complete the repurchase remedy	If you chose to have Zero Motorcycles repurchase your motorcycle, your dealer will receive a check in your name within 15 days from the date in which we receive all required information. They will contact you to schedule a time for you to deliver your countersigned title, made out to Zero Motorcycles, Inc. and you will receive the check in return at that time. If your motorcycle has an outstanding lien, the amounts owed will be sent to the lienholder according to the 15-day payoff authorization you provide.  You will receive a check for the net amount during your dealer visit and a power of attorney will need to be signed to complete the sale.
Steps to complete the trade assist remedy	If you chose to trade your existing motorcycle for a new Zero motorcycle, then you will receive a voucher from your dealer for the fair market value plus an additional $1,000 that can be used toward the purchase of a new Zero motorcycle. Please work with your dealer to complete a trade pursuant to the laws covering such transactions in your state. At your direction they can order a new Zero motorcycle for you. At the time the trade transaction is completed, they will have you countersign the title, made out to Zero Motorcycles, Inc. If your motorcycle has an outstanding lien, additional steps may be required to payoff the amounts owed and the voucher value will be applied accordingly.
Report sale of your 2012 Zero motorcycle to your state DMV	Each state has different requirements regarding the owner’s responsibilities after selling a vehicle. To ensure the sale is completed smoothly, please be sure to submit any ownership transfer information required. If you are unsure what information is necessary, please contact your state DMV or your Zero motorcycles dealer likely will be able to provide these details.

 

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3 Affected Products

Vehicles

ZERO	ZERO DS	2012
ZERO	ZERO DSP	2012
ZERO	ZERO S	2012

 

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10 Associated Documents

Defect Notice 573 Report

RCLRPT-18V215-3083.pdf 218.555KB

 

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Miscellaneous Document

RMISC-18V215-7018.pdf 87.769KB

 

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Recall 573 Report – AMENDMENT 1

RCLRPT-18V215-5474.PDF 218.596KB

 

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Recall Acknowledgement

RCAK-18V215-6956.pdf 246.105KB

 

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Remedy Instructions and TSB

RCRIT-18V215-6663.pdf 1836.903KB

 

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Recall Quarterly Report – Report #1, 2018-2

RCLQRT-18V215-2810.PDF 214.54KB

 

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ISSUED Owner Notification Letter(Part 577)

RCONL-18V215-3122.pdf 566.38KB

 

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Recall Quarterly Report #2, 2018-3

RCLQRT-18V215-0777.PDF 211.257KB

 

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Recall Quarterly Report #3, 2018-4

RCLQRT-18V215-4176.PDF 211.346KB

 

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Recall Quarterly Report #4, 2019-1

RCLQRT-18V215-2678.PDF 211.452KB

 

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Latest Recalls Documents

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/documentList.xhtml?docId=18V215&docType=RCL

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