Complaint 1192656

Complaint Summary

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR

Owner Narrative

THIS VEHICLE WAS USED AS A MOBILE MEDICAL UNIT FOR RESEARCH. TWO STAFF MEMBERS WERE IN THE CAB EN ROUTE TO A STUDY VISIT - BOTH WERE FAMILIAR DRIVERS OF THE VEHICLE. APPROXIMATELY 9 MILES INTO THE TRIP A PASSERBY ON THE INTERSTATE FLAGGED US DOWN AND WANTED US TO PULL OVER AND INFORMED US THAT THE BACK WHEELS WERE ON FIRE. WITHOUT THE PASSERBY, WE WOULD NOT HAVE KNOW ANYTHING WAS WRONG. THERE WERE NO INDICATOR LIGHT WARNINGS AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT SEEM TO BE DRIVING DIFFERENT THAN USUAL. WE PULLED OVER, CALLED 911 FOR ASSISTANCE AND USED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER WE HAD ON BOARD TO DOUSE THE FLAMES. TWO OTHER TRUCKERS STOPPED AND ASSISTED US, BRINGING THEIR FIRE EXTINGUISHERS TO OUR AID. THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND GOT THE FIRE COMPLETELY EXTINGUISHED. THE VEHICLE HAS A DIESEL POWERED ENGINE AND AIR BRAKES. IT ALSO HAS A HYDRAULIC LEVELING SYSTEM TO STABILIZE THE UNIT WHILE AT STUDY VISITS. THERE WERE TWO LOUD POPPING NOISES WITHIN MINUTES OF EACH OTHER AT ONE POINT. THE PARTICULAR VIN FOR THIS VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE ANY RECALLS, BUT I HAVE READ ABOUT 2 RECALLS THAT INVOLVE AIR BRAKES ON FORD F750 2011 VEHICLES. (NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V097000 COMPONENT(S): SERVICE BRAKES, AIR AND NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V264000 COMPONENT(S): SERVICE BRAKES, AIR). THERE WERE NO BODILY INJURIES IN THIS EVENT, BUT A GREAT DEAL OF EQUIPMENT DAMAGE. IT WAS CATEGORIZED AS A ROADSIDE ASSIST, NOT AN ACCIDENT, SO THERE IS NO ACCIDENT REPORT. ...UPDATED08/20/15 *BF UPDATED 11/30/2015 *JS

Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.