The defect
Life Line Emergency Vehicles (Life Line) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Type I and Type III ambulances built on Ford F-Series, Ford E-Series, Freightliner, Chevrolet Cutaway G-Series, Dodge Chassis Cab, Navistar and Kenworth chassis, equipped with Whelen accessory brake lights. Depending on the specific wiring of the vehicle, the brake lights may falsely illuminate even without the brake pedal being pressed.
The risk
If the brake lights falsely illuminate, other drivers could become confused, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Life Line will notify owners, and dealers will replace the lights, free of charge. The recall began May 1, 2019. Owners may contact Life Line customer service at 1-563-578-3317, extension 132.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Lifeline Type I | 2017, 2018, 2019 |
| Lifeline Type III | 2017, 2018, 2019 |
Components: EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lifeline Type I | 2017 | 0 | 2 |
| Lifeline Type I | 2018 | 0 | 2 |
| Lifeline Type I | 2019 | 0 | 1 |
| Lifeline Type III | 2017 | 0 | 1 |
| Lifeline Type III | 2018 | 0 | 1 |
| Lifeline Type III | 2019 | 0 | 1 |
Other exterior lighting recalls in 2019
74 of the 880 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2019 concerned the exterior lighting; Life Line Emergency Vehicles filed 5 campaigns in all.
| 19V895000 16 Dec 2019 | Mack Trucks, Inc. |
| 19V878000 11 Dec 2019 | Porsche Cars North America, Inc. |
| 19V850000 27 Nov 2019 | BMW of North America, LLC |
| 19V839000 21 Nov 2019 | Ford Motor Company |
| 19V816000 15 Nov 2019 | Newmar Corporation |
| 19V808000 12 Nov 2019 | Ford Motor Company |
| 19V799000 7 Nov 2019 | Thor Motor Coach |
| 19V795000 6 Nov 2019 | Blue Bird Body Company |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2019