Safety Defect Recall Notification: Meritor WABCO

This just in from Ferrara Fire Apparatus on a major safety item involving all fire apparatus with the associated Meritor/Wabco control module.  Please post the notice from Ferrara and note that the recall pertains to all fire apparatus utilizing the part numbers listed.

Re: Safety Defect Recall Notification filed with NHTSA

Meritor WABCO Recall Number 11E039000
Ferrara Fire Apparatus Campaign # 11V-507

Ferrara Fire Apparatus Inc. has been notified by Meritor WABCO that a defect, which relates to motor vehicle safety, exists in units with Electronic Stability Control Systems (ESC) installed. Our records indicate only 104 Inferno / Igniter chassis has received one of the suspect ESC modules. The purpose of this letter is to inform you of our plan for addressing this defect.

What the defect is and the risks involved in vehicle safety:

Meritor Wabco has determined that under certain unique road and driving conditions involving tight, successive, highly banked curves in opposite directions, vehicle body roll and road inclination characteristics may adversely affect the slip angle calculation by the ESC Module. This might cause the ESC system to perceive an oversteering situation and therefore apply the front axle outer wheel service brake until the vehicle is perceived to be stable by the ESC. This unnecessary brake intervention may pull the vehicle out of the curve, requiring the driver to counter steer to keep the vehicle on its intended path. If the driver is slow to react during this described unnecessary ESC intervention, the vehicle may deviate from its intended path. All known occurrences of this described condition have occurred on tight S-type curves that are highly banked above 6 degrees. The faster the vehicle is drives on this unique road condition, the tighter the curves and higher the bank, the more likely the occurrence of unnecessary oversteer brake activation by the ESC.
What Ferrara Fire Apparatus is doing to resolve this issue.

Once the required replacement ESC modules have been procured, a Ferrara Fire Apparatus Inc. field service technician will visit each affected location to replace the defective module and recalibrate the ESC system. Replacement ESC modules should be available to Ferrara Fire Apparatus by Meritor WABCO by November 30, 2011. Vehicles affected will be attended to as quickly as possible thereafter.

Other Manufacturers Fire apparatus will also be affected and they will be handled by their own recall campaign notifications. The Meritor Wabco ESC Module part numbers affected are:

• 446 065 020 0
• 446 065 027 0
• 400 850 179 0
• 400 850 185 0
• 400 850 195 0

Any questions pertaining to this Safety recall should be directed to:
Charlie Grimes @ 800-443-9006 Ext. 3011 or Email charlieg@ferrarafire.com