Excellance ambulances: brake lights can turn on by themselves

NHTSA campaign 19V236000 · Reported 2019-03-26 · Excellance, Inc

medium How serious is it? About this label

Lower-level but real — false brake lights can confuse drivers behind you and lead to a crash; the notice does not tell owners to stop driving.

What's wrong, in plain English

These are ambulances and emergency vehicles built on Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, Freightliner and International chassis and fitted with Whelen brake lights. Depending on how the vehicle was wired, the brake lights can come on even when the driver is not pressing the brake pedal. That breaks the federal rule for vehicle lamps. Whelen replaces the brake lights free of charge, and owners were told to contact Whelen directly rather than a dealer. The recall began March 21, 2019.

What you should do

1. Look up your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm the vehicle is covered.
2. Contact Whelen at 1-860-718-2331 (or Excellance at 1-256-772-9321) to arrange replacement of the brake lights.
3. Have the lights replaced — the repair is free.

Affected vehicles (5)

2018 Chevrolet G4500
2018 Ford E-350
2018 Ford E-450
2018 Ford F-550
2018 RAM 4500

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

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Why do Chevrolet brake lights and daytime running lights get recalled? · all 5 Chevrolet recalls in this area
Ford exterior lighting recalls: headlights, tail lights and brake lights · all 26 Ford recalls in this area
Ram lighting recalls: trailer tow modules and false brake lights · all 5 RAM recalls in this area

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.