PHOENIX – Nikola Corporation has recalled certain model-year 2022-2024 Nikola TRE BEV trucks which might have a faulty electronic-parking-brake (EPB) system.
The 364 electric trucks within the recall population, all with the Bendix Intellipark Towing Park Brake (PVM) Module, may have encounter the module stuck in an “up-parked” condition and not respond to actuation of the “park switch.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23V-249, Bendix informed Nikola of the potential condition and issued an equipment recall of the component.
The report spelled out the safety risk as “An Intellipark PVM that intermittently becomes stuck in the un-parked position does not allow the vehicle spring brakes to exhaust when the driver pulls the Park Switch. The vehicle must be parked by depleting air storage by fanning-down the air brake system with the service brake pedal. If a driver does detect the Intellipark PVM malfunction indications and does not properly fan down the brakes, the vehicle may unintentionally move which increases the likelihood of a crash.”
Should an affected Nikola truck not transition into park upon actuation of the parking brake, the park indication LEDs on the park switch would not illuminate, thus warning the driver the vehicle’s parking brake was not engaged.
No incidents, accidents or injuries were reported as a result of this condition.
The cause of the issue, according to the NHTSA report, is “Mechanical components in the PVM that are at the upper limit of the design specification and other tolerance stack-ups allow for excessive internal air leakage. The internal leakage does not allow pressure to build properly when the pilot solenoid is activated.”
Dealers and owners are scheduled to be notified by May 1st of the recall.
