Ambulance Brake Lights May Turn On By Mistake
medium How serious is it? About this label
If the brake lights incorrectly illuminate, it can confuse other drivers, possibly increasing the risk of a crash. The notice does not tell owners to stop driving.
Key facts
| NHTSA campaign number | 19V236000 |
|---|---|
| Reported to NHTSA | Mar 26, 2019 |
| Manufacturer | Excellance, Inc |
| Part affected | Exterior Lighting:brake Lights |
| Vehicles covered | 5 model/year combinations, model years 2018 |
| Do-not-drive advisory | No |
| Park-outside advisory | No |
| Repair | Free at any franchised dealer |
What's wrong, in plain English
Depending on how the vehicle is wired, the Whelen brake lights on these ambulances may illuminate even when the brake pedal has not been pressed. Because of this, these vehicles do not meet a federal safety standard covering lamps and lighting equipment.
What you should do
2. Contact Whelen to have the brake lights replaced; call Whelen customer service at 1-860-718-2331, or Excellance at 1-256-772-9321.
3. The repair is free.
Where do I find my VIN, and what do I tell the dealer?
Your VIN is the 17-character code on the lower left of the windshield, on your registration and usually on your insurance card. Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether this recall is still open on your car. When you call the dealer, say you have an open safety recall and give them NHTSA campaign number 19V236000. More in how recalls work.
Affected vehicles (5)
Who to contact
Chevrolet — official Chevrolet recall lookup
Customer service: 1-800-222-1020
Ford — official Ford recall lookup
Customer service: 1-866-436-7332
RAM — official RAM recall lookup
Customer service: 1-800-853-1403
The bigger picture
- Chevrolet Exterior Lighting Recalls Cover Brake Lights and Running Lights · all 5 Chevrolet recalls in this area
- Ford Exterior Lighting Recalls Involve False Brake Signals and Failures · all 27 Ford recalls in this area
- Ram Exterior Lighting Recalls: Turn Signal and Brake Light Problems · all 5 RAM recalls in this area
Other RAM 4500 recalls
- Nov 6, 2025Ram Trucks: Driver's Air Bag May Not Deployhigh
- Nov 27, 2024Ram Trucks Brake Control Unit May Failhigh
- Mar 14, 2024Jeep, Ram, Chrysler Air Bag May Not Deployhigh
- Nov 28, 2023Ram truck light controls may swap signals and high beamsmedium
- Feb 9, 2023Ram Diesel Trucks Heater Relay Fire Riskcritical
- Oct 11, 2022Ram 4500, 5500 Rear Brake Hose May Rupturehigh
Official notice
- Component
- EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
- Summary
- Excellance, Inc. (Excellance) is recalling certain 2018 Ambulances and Emergency Vehicles built on Ford E-350, E-450, F-650, F-550 4x4, Chevrolet G4500, G4500 Diesel, C3500, G3500, Freightliner M2, International 4300, and Dodge 4500 chassis and equipped with Whelen brake lights. Depending on the specific wiring of the vehicle, these brake lights may illuminate when the brake pedal has not been pressed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
- Safety risk
- If the brake lights incorrectly illuminate, it can confuse other drivers, possibly increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Excellance has notified owners, instructing them to contact Whelen to have the brake lights replaced, free of charge. The recall began on March 21, 2019. Owners may contact Whelen customer service at 1-860-718-2331 or Execellance at 1-256-772-9321.
Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.