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NHTSA campaign 19V871000

2019 Proterra Catalyst: electrical system recall

If the vehicle does warn the driver that the brake interlock is engaged, the rear brakes may overheat, increasing the risk of a fire or crash.

critical 140 vehicles affected

What was reported

Source: manufacturer filing, 49 CFR Part 573
Problem Proterra, Inc. (Proterra) is recalling certain 2019 Catalyst buses. A body controller software update may have disabled the audible and visible warnings that notifies the operator that the brake interlock could be engaged. Risk If the vehicle does warn the driver that the brake interlock is engaged, the rear brakes may overheat, increasing the risk of a fire or crash. Fix Proterra will notify owners, and dealers will update the body controller software, free of charge. The recall began January 16, 2020. Owners may contact Proterra customer service at 1-864-438-0000.

Reported to NHTSA Dec 9, 2019 by Proterra Inc, owners notified Jan 16, 2020.

Which vehicles are covered

Source: NHTSA campaign 19V871000

Vehicles built Jul 23, 2019 to Dec 2, 2019 — a VIN outside that window is not part of this campaign even if the year, make and model match.

Model yearOn WhichTrim
2019 Proterra Catalyst

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 →

The federal paperwork

Source: nhtsa.gov

Filed documents

NHTSA has not published the scanned filings for this campaign, or has not published them yet. The campaign record itself is on their site.

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 19V871000

Own one, or run a fleet? Recall Watch checks each VIN against every new NHTSA campaign and emails you when one lands, this one's expansions included. Or take a free one-line alert by model year.

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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 Jul 23, 2019 to Dec 2, 2019. 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.