Dometic Refer Recall - Possible Fire Hazard -Update 2/13/07

[MELM]

Click here to go directly to Updates.
Update Number 1 Nov 23, 2006
Update Number 2 Dec 5, 2006
Update Number 3 Jan 10, 2007
Update Number 4 Jan 19, 2007 - Recall Instructions - click here: Dometic Recall You need your model and serial numbers.
Update Number 5 Feb 13, 2007 - Added links to new info on the NHTSA website including the info/form for claiming reimbursement for a failure. These are at the end of the post below where all the updates are posted.

Also, edited the below Recall to include the change made prior to the Dec 5 update showing the proposed remedy.

Below is information from the NHTSA website on a recall of certain Dometic refrigerators. This recall is in its very early stages, and there is no resolution in place as of Nov 1, 2006.

From the NHTSA website:

Dometic Recall NHTSA Campaign ID 06E076000

Make / Models : Model/Build Years:
DOMETIC / NDR1062 9999
DOMETIC / RM2652 9999
DOMETIC / RM2662 9999
DOMETIC / RM2663 9999
DOMETIC / RM2852 9999
DOMETIC / RM2862 9999
DOMETIC / RM3662 9999
DOMETIC / RM3663 9999
DOMETIC / RM3862 9999
DOMETIC / RM3863 9999

Manufacturer : DOMETIC CORPORATION

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 06E076000 Mfg's Report Date : AUG 28, 2006

Component: EQUIPMENT: RECREATIONAL VEHICLE

Potential Number Of Units Affected : 926877

Summary:
CERTAIN DOMETIC TWO-DOOR REFRIGERATORS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN APRIL 1997 AND MAY 2003: SERIAL NOS.
713XXXXX THROUGH 752XXXXX;
801XXXXX THROUGH 852XXXXX;
901XXXXX THROUGH 952XXXXX;
001XXXXX THROUGH 052XXXXX;
101XXXXX THROUGH 152XXXXX;
201XXXXX THROUGH 252XXXXX;
301XXXXX THROUGH 319XXXXX,
INSTALLED IN CERTAIN RECREATIONAL VEHICLES AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT AND SOLD AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT. A FATIGUE CRACK MAY DEVELOP IN THE BOILER TUBE WHICH MAY RELEASE A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF PRESSURIZED COOLANT SOLUTION INTO AN AREA WHERE AN IGNITION SOURCE (GAS FLAME) IS PRESENT.

Consequence:
THE RELEASE OF COOLANT UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS COULD IGNITE AND RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy:
THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF RECREATIONAL VEHICLES THAT HAD THE REFRIGERATORS INSTALLED AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT AND DOMETIC WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF THE AFTERMARKET REFRIGERATORS. DOMETIC WILL INSTALL A SECONDARY BURNER HOUSING FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN BETWEEN APRIL AND JUNE 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOMETIC AT 888-446-5157.

Notes:
CUSTOMERS MAY CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

The following is extracted from the notice provided by Dometic to the NHTSA dated 8/26/06:

The potential defect is associated with cooling unit at the back of the refrigeration cabinet.

A fractional percentage of the potentially affected refrigerators have experienced a fatigue crack that may develop in the boiler tube in the area of the weld between the boiler tube and the heater pocket. A fatigue crack may release a sufficient amount of pressurized coolant solution into an area where an ignition source (gas flame) is present. Dometic's investigation has shown that a simulated release of cooling solution (refrigerant) in the area of the boiler, under certain conditions, could be ignited by the presence of an open flame. A boiler fatigue crack with the loss of cooling solution without ignition would result in a non-operational refrigerator that is not a safety issue. Under certain conditions, the released coolant could ignite and result in a fire. In order to have a fire, at a minimum, all of the following conditions must exist:

1. The refrigerator must be on and normally operating and gas burner must be lit;
2. 'There must be an oversized heating element in the refrigerator;
3. The boiler tube must develop a throughway fatigue crack of a
specific size;
4. There must be a release of the cooling solution at a rate which will
allow the accumulation of the cooling solution at a concentration within its range of flammability; and
5. There must be ignition source (gas flame) present.

If any of these conditions are not present, a release of the cooling solution will not result in a fire.

In April of 1997 Dometic modified the design of the affected refrigerators by increasing the wattage of the heating element from 325 watts to 354 watts. All production of the affected units from April 1997 through May of 2003 utilized the 354 watt heating element. In May of 2003, in order to improve the operating life of the refrigerators, Dometic returned to the use of the 325 watt heating element which it continues to use today. It is now believed that the use of the higher wattage heater contributed to abnormal fatigue in the boiler tube.

The products in question are all refrigerators used in the original manufacture of recreation vehicles or as replacement equipment for recreation vehicles. The total population of refrigerators potentially containing the defect is 926,877. Dometic estimates a potential maximum incident rate of 0.01% related to boiler fatigue cracks that leak and may result in a fire. There have been no incidents of injury or death related to the affected population of Dometic refrigerators.

Dometic became aware of the occurrence of fires which may have involved their products and retained an independent engineering testing laboratory to fully evaluate and investigate any potential defect in their refrigerators which might result in a fire. A number of returned units were analyzed and microscopic fatigue cracks which could release coolant into the area of the burner were identified in the boiler tube metal in the area of the weld between the heater pocket and boiler tube. Tests simulating the cracks were conducted the week of August 18, 2006 and confirmed a possible cause of fire in the refrigerators under certain conditions. These test results prompted the preparation of this notice.

Dometic continues to gather information on the potential defect and will forward additional relevant information as it becomes available.

Dometic has not yet identified a proposed remedy for the potential defect. Dometic will continue a testing program designed to identify and evaluate possible remedies. This evaluation will take place both in the United States and in Sweden. Once a remedy has been identified, Dometic will initiate or participate in a remedy campaign initiated by the original equipment manufacturers and aftermarket suppliers who have purchased, sold, and distributed these products. A list of original equipment manufacturers and aftermarket suppliers to whom Dometic has sold the potentially defective refrigerators is being prepared and will be provided to the NHTSA upon its
completion.

The following is extracted from the NHTSA response on 9/18/06:

Please provide the following additional information and be reminded of the following requirements:

Dometic must provide an estimated dealer notification date as well as an owner notification date including the day, month, and year. You are required to submit a draft owner notification letter to this office no less than five days prior to mailing it to the customers. Also, copies of all notices, bulletins, dealer notifications, and other communications that relate to this recall, including a copy of the final owner notification letter and any subsequent owner follow-up notification letter(s), are required to be submitted to this office no later than 5 days after they are originally sent (if they are sent to more than one manufacturer, distributor, dealer, or purchaser/owner).

Dometic must file a sample of the envelope which you intend to use to mail the recall notice to owners. The words "SAFETY", "RECALL", "NOTICE" in any order must be printed on the envelope in larger font than the customers name and address.

[jlrsn]

Vicky and others that have already paid to repair their refrigerators

According to the Dometic Website Recall Info this is now posted:

If you previously paid to repair or replace a Dometic refrigerator that failed due to this defect, you can be reimbursed for your costs pursuant to Dometic´s Pre-Notification Reimbursement Program. To be eligible for reimbursement under that Program, you must complete and submit the required form and provide the necessary documentation. The Program and form can be obtained by calling 1-888-446-5157.

I'd follow up on this offer ASAP before it's withdrawn,
Good Luck,
Jim

[rvtraveller2]

..new page up on their website about the dometic recall

http://www.dometicusa.com/recall.php

[timsrv]

Now this is very interesting to me. I run a mobile RV repair business and have noticed a huge increase in cooling unit failures of these models over the past few years (dumping contents of cooling core in boiler area). I have been wondering if an action like this was going to happen. I have one customer with a 1999 RM3862. He has had this exact failure in 2002, 2004, and again just 2 weeks ago. None of these failures were covered under warranty. The 1st 2 failures he went with a new cooling core (#805). This last time we replaced the entire refer with a new RM2862. After reading this thread I went out to the scrap pile, found his refer and checked the serial number. His is on the list of affected units. This gentleman has spent almost $3,500 on refer repairs since purchasing new in 99. Judging by the response they gave to Vicky, it sounds like he will not be entitled to any kind of compensation. Obviously they've known about the problem for some time, definitely before his last failure. Now they get to skate because they are delaying notification of dealers and customers. This just doesn't seem right. Not to mention the fact they are gambling with people's lives. Tim

[seatrout46]

stevenal wrote:

Puddles wrote:

Please explain how putting an extra shield around the burner keeps the refrigerant from leaking out and the refrigerator stop cooling. Or is this fix that Dometic's proposing only to stop a fire from occurring?

I have no inside knowledge here, but I assume that seals are included that will contain the gas. I believe the word was "burner housing" rather than "shield."

I agree with puddles, it seems they are limiting their liability by reducing the chance of a fire but are not fixing the problem which is a weak tube that cracks! Why don't they fix the problem by replacing the weak tube??

[PSU1999]

Vickey...I'm sure that if the refer was still under warranty they would have repaired or replaced, however there are what...90,000 of these bad units out there with the earliest being manufactured in 1997, that puts the majority of them out of warranty.

As for Willey B's response I tend to agree however if the entire RV is lost to a fire it is covered by insurance with the exception of a deductible. If the refer breaks down that isn't covered and the repair in most cases is more than a deductible. I hate to look at it that way but I can't help it.

I have to wonder if addressing this issue with Dometic while registering for the recall now would help. Something like, "I understand that my unit is included in the proposed recall and your report to the NHTSA states that in the majority of cases this problem will result in an non operating referigerator...so what happens if I don't have a fire but a non operating refrigerator?"

[Vicky]

Our (2001) unit "crashed" in mid-September, after Dometic realized they had a problem; however, they are saying they won't do anything to reimburse us for the $1500 we spent to replace it because it was out of warranty - even though it was the exact recall issue. Our numbers are on the list. This makes me very angry but not as angry as I would be if it was still under warranty and they weren't making it right. I, too, think they should be held accountable.

[Chris_Bryant]

I agree completely- I have an entry on my blog about this issue.

[WilleyB]

PSU1999 wrote:
Dometic would own up to that if the unit is our of warranty. I see a few folks have encountered this already. Does anyone else realize this?

Yes, that's a point I've been trying to get across. Also the proposed "FIX???" is not really a fix of the cause, but only a cover up to prevent fire. I guess I'd rather pay for the refridgerator repair than lose the RV. When the reefer finally breaks down you're on your own $$$$ for the repairs. That's my take on it anyway.

cheers

[PSU1999]

It seems to me that after reading the original post there is a very small chance of the actual conditions that will cause a fire ocurring. What there seems to be a bigger chance of is a release of coolant and a non working refrigerator. Unless your unit burns up it doesn't seem as though Dometic would own up to that if the unit is our of warranty. I see a few folks have encountered this already. Does anyone else realize this? Is there a way to get them to own up to this when registereing on their recall list?

[randyb]

Turned unit on yesterday to prepare for this weekend's trip. Today, it wasn't cold. I had seen articles in the Trailer Life magazines about coolant leaks so I proceeded outside to take a look. After removing the cover, yep there it was....neon greenish-yellow junk all over. I new the forum would probably have some info and to my surprise...there's a recall.

I haven't seen any recent posts about the recall. What's the status? Surely they've had enough time by now (testing done 8/06) to figure out what to do. Now I'm confused as to what I should do. Wait for the recall, fix it, or replace it. If this goes on much longer I would say this is a prime opportunity for a class-action lawsuit. Good Sam...can you help us with this one?

[MELM]

Good catch stevenal - I may have missed that change when I looked at it a couple of days ago.

I've updated the first entries to show the change.

Mel

[stevenal]

THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN BETWEEN APRIL AND JUNE 2007

recall

[campers2]

I didn't have a fire, but my refrigerator completely quit working while parked at my house. It's completely level and I have full hookups. Of course this happened over Thanksgiving while I had company that needed to stay in it. I called my dealer and was told to bring it in and they would contact Dometic.It's one hundred miles one way to Snellville GA. I checked out the RV.Net and sure enough there was a recall. I called the 800 number given and signed up for a recall packet. It's been over a month and have not heard yet. Called a local rv repair shop, here in Augusta and they called Dometic and was told they hadn't come up with a cure yet. So here I am the first winter I am retired and battling with a big company trying to get my two year old refer fixed. Didn't know it had to be serviced once a year at the cost of a hundred bucks to keep the three year warrantee. It's very depressing to have a fairly new Cardinal 5er and have to stay in the house during the best time to camp.So if you have one of the models on the recall please pay attention.

[paulette_bob_pa]

Not possible fire...it took 2 year old & totaled it, tried to take our home & quarters/office. Take it very, very serious. We got charged with HO & vehicle deducts and spent over 18 months before they finally paid for damages based on our insurance. Never heard a peep from Dometic. We were very lucky, Bob is professional appraiser & won through their insurance maze. Saw the recall some months after our fire. Have a great one. New poster. Leaving a.m. for West US. Paulette

[WilleyB]

My concern is that the recall list may not be all possible refrigerator types that might have the problem, but only those that have actually failed. It doesn't seem to me that Dometic has been readily forthcoming with full and open disclosure

Well if I were in the same situation I wouldn't worry about it, just enjoy your RV. I don't believe Dometic would try to nickle and dime their way out of this, there's too much at stake. My second thoughts on this is your two 120V heaters would be of much lower wattage each and the maximum heat attained may be less that of the single lower wattage 120VAC heater that isn't on the recall. If so then you have no worry at all as again there will be much less expansion and contraction of the metal. Look at your schematic to see if both heaters are connected to the same terminals (source) if not they may alternate on and off resulting in much better temperature control in the heating chamber.

Cheers Willis