Car safety information

failing parts, recalls, bulletins, complaints

Pierce Custom Chassis 2003

Model Custom Chassis made in 2003 by Pierce got 3 recalls. There were some recalls concerningsteering, suspension.

Custom chassis year 2003

Recalls

Model 2003

Recalls

Campaign	Manufacturer	Manufacturing date	Type	# of units affected	Date Owner notified Mfg	Recall Initiated by	Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products	Report Recieved Date	Record Creation Date	Regulation Part Number	FMVSS Number
STEERING
04V567000	PIERCE MANUFACTURING	from 07/16/2002 to 08/30/2004	V (Vehicle)	64	01/25/2005	MFR	PIERCE MANUFACTURING	12/09/2004	12/09/2004
Defect Summary	On certain fire trucks equipped with the all wheel steer option, the position of the front axle is sensed by an optical encoder mounted to the bottom of the front axle kingpin, which is protected from the elements by an outer case. this case shares a common grease cavity with the kingpin. oil that leaches from the grease can migrate through the encoder seal, causing contamination of the optical encoder disc.
Consequence Summary	Oil on the disc can cause the encoder to send incorrect wheel position information and can cause the rear wheels to steer unexpectedly causing the vehicle to crash without prior warning.
Corrective Summary	Dealers will replace the encoders with new encoders with more robust seals. the control software will be updated to produce an error code and disable the rear steering function if unusual encoder inputs are detected. the recall began january 25, 2005. owners should contact pierce at 1-888-974-3723.
Notes	Customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration
STEERING - LINKAGES - TIE ROD ASSEMBLY
03V380000	PIERCE MANUFACTURING	from 05/14/1996 to 05/15/2004	V (Vehicle)	202	11/07/2003	MFR	PIERCE MANUFACTURING	10/08/2003	10/20/2003
Defect Summary	On certain fire trucks with tandem steer axles. the trw tie-rod on the rear-most axle of a tandem axle is restrained from rotational movement by a pair of anti-rotation seals located at the ball socket joints. these anti-rotation seals will compress over time. if the anti-rotation seal allows too much motion, the seals can deteriorate, allowing contact between the ball socket and the ball shaft. this metal-to-metal contact will transmit forces into the tie-rod tube, causing fatigue failure initiating at the root of the female treads.
Consequence Summary	Failure of the tie-rod will allow one of the wheels to swing to the limit of its steering stop, potentially causing a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Corrective Summary	Dealers will replace the tie rod. notification to owners began november 7, 2003. owners should contact pierce at 1-888-974-3723.
Notes	Customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM
07V470000	PIERCE MANUFACTURING	from 12/20/2001 to 12/31/2006	V (Vehicle)	2604	10/29/2007	MFR	PIERCE MANUFACTURING	10/05/2007	10/05/2007
Defect Summary	On certain fire trucks equipped with an independent front suspension, a pitman arm might fracture under severe load caused by three loading conditions. in all cases, the front axle must be turned full left or right while (1) simultaneously backing up and braking hard, (2) driving one wheel over or against a curb or (3) steering the front axle full left or right when the vehicle is stationary with the service brake applied. these are all low or no -speed events.
Consequence Summary	Such a break could lead to the suspension losing one of its anchor points, thereby potentially causing loss of vehicle control without prior warning which could result in a crash.
Corrective Summary	Dealers will replace the original pitman arms with pitman arms made of higher strength material. the recall began on october 29, 2007. owners may contact pierce at 920-832-3000.
Notes	Customers may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.