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NHTSA campaign 18V489000

2012–2018 Braunability Chrysler Wheelchair VAN and 1 other Braunability model: electronic stability control (esc) recall

A reduction of ESC function can increase the risk of a crash.

high 31,303 vehicles affected FMVSS 135 68% reported repaired

What was reported

Source: manufacturer filing, 49 CFR Part 573
Problem On July 20, 2018 Braun Corporation (Braun) filed a recall for certain 2017-2018 BraunAbility Dodge Side Entry Vans with a manual in-floor wheelchair ramp built on Dodge RT minivan chassis. The brake lines may not be connected to the corresponding ports on the hydraulic control unit, causing reduced performance of the electronic stability control (ESC) system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems," and 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems." On August 21, 2018, Braun expanded this recall to include an additional 31,165 vehicles. Included in this update are 2012-2016 BraunAbility Dodge Side Entry Vans and 2012-2018 Chrysler Town and Country Side Entry Vans. Risk A reduction of ESC function can increase the risk of a crash. Fix Braun will notify owners, and dealers will reroute the right rear brake line to the left wheel, and install a brake line extension to reroute the left rear brake line to the right rear wheel. This repair will be completed free of charge. The recall began on August 17, 2018. Owners may contact Braun customer service at 1-800-488-0359.

Reported to NHTSA Jul 20, 2018 by Braun Corporation, owners notified Aug 17, 2018.

Which vehicles are covered

Source: NHTSA campaign 18V489000

Vehicles built Oct 12, 2011 to Jul 17, 2018 — a VIN outside that window is not part of this campaign even if the year, make and model match.

Model yearOn WhichTrim
2012 Braunability Chrysler Wheelchair VAN
2013 Braunability Chrysler Wheelchair VAN
2014 Braunability Chrysler Wheelchair VAN
2015 Braunability Chrysler Wheelchair VAN
2016 Braunability Chrysler Wheelchair VAN
2017 Braunability Chrysler Wheelchair VAN
2018 Braunability Chrysler Wheelchair VAN
2012 Braunability Dodge Wheelchair VAN
2013 Braunability Dodge Wheelchair VAN
2014 Braunability Dodge Wheelchair VAN
2015 Braunability Dodge Wheelchair VAN
2016 Braunability Dodge Wheelchair VAN
2017 Braunability Dodge Wheelchair VAN
2018 Braunability Dodge Wheelchair VAN

None of the vehicles this campaign names has a page on WhichTrim: the catalogue covers the cars, trucks and SUVs the EPA certifies from 2016 on, and these vehicles fall outside it — older model years, or motorhomes, trailers, buses, motorcycles and chassis cabs the EPA does not rate. The campaign record above is complete as filed, and whether one specific vehicle is included is settled by its VIN. Other campaigns on vehicles without a page here →

How much of it has been fixed

Source: manufacturer quarterly report, 49 CFR 573.7
Reported repaired 68%

of the campaign

The final figure: the six quarters of reporting that 49 cfr 573.7 requires have closed.

This is the manufacturer's own cumulative count of vehicles it has inspected and repaired, divided by the vehicles the campaign covers. It files that count with NHTSA every quarter for six consecutive quarters, starting from the quarter in which owners were told a remedy was ready, and then the obligation ends — so a figure on an older campaign is where the count stopped, not where it stands today.

It rarely reaches 100%, and not because the work was not done. The same report asks manufacturers to count vehicles they could not reach at all — exported, stolen, scrapped, or simply never located — and those stay in the denominator. A low number means a lot of these vehicles are still out there unrepaired; it does not tell you which ones.

The federal paperwork

Source: nhtsa.gov

Filed documents

Check one specific vehicle

A recall applies to a build range, so year, make and model cannot settle it. NHTSA checks a VIN against the manufacturer's own list and tells you whether the repair is still outstanding on that vehicle.

NHTSA VIN recall lookup →

Campaign 18V489000

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Common questions

Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR Part 573

Does this recall repair cost anything?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to remedy a safety defect or a compliance failure at no charge, for vehicles up to 15 years old measured from the date of first sale. A dealer that asks you to pay for a recall repair is in the wrong.

How do I know whether my vehicle is included?

By VIN, not by model year. This campaign covers vehicles built Oct 12, 2011 to Jul 17, 2018. The manufacturer files a build range with NHTSA and only vehicles inside it are covered, so two identical-looking cars from the same year can differ. NHTSA's own lookup checks a VIN against the manufacturer's list.

What if the repair is not available yet?

It happens, and often. Manufacturers must notify owners when a defect is found even if the parts or the software are not ready, then notify them a second time once the remedy exists. The remedy filed for this campaign is described above.

What did the manufacturer say was wrong?

The problem, risk and fix quoted on this page are the manufacturer's own words as filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR Part 573. WhichTrim does not paraphrase them.

Who started this recall?

NHTSA's record credits the manufacturer. A recall can begin with the manufacturer's own testing, with a defect investigation, or with a compliance test against a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.