Recall 12V179 covers 231 Carrier EM-1 bus evaporators with loose fuse holders that can arc and start a fire. Repair is free.
Carrier recall 12V179 covers 231 EM-1 evaporators installed on school and transit buses because a loose fuse in the motor assembly can create high resistance and arcing. If enough arcing occurs, the fuse holder can melt and raise the risk of fire; the dealer repair will be free once available.
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What's wrong?
The Carrier Gen V EM-1 evaporator is part of the air conditioning equipment installed on school and transit buses. The evaporator helps move cooled air through the bus, and its motor assembly uses a fuse holder to keep the electrical fuse seated and connected. That fuse holder is supposed to hold steady while the bus is in service.
On affected EM-1 evaporators, time, temperature, or vibration can loosen the fuse in the holder. A loose fuse creates high electrical resistance, which means the connection fights the flow of current instead of carrying it cleanly. That resistance can lead to arcing inside the motor assembly, where electricity jumps across a poor connection and creates heat.
There is no warning sign before failure. Bus operators or maintenance staff should treat this as an internal electrical problem in the evaporator motor assembly, not as a normal air conditioning performance issue.
Who's affected?
The filing identifies EM-1 air-conditioning equipment without a model year, so model name alone does not confirm inclusion.
| Carrier EM-1 | Air conditioner |
|---|---|
| Units affected | 231 |
A matching Carrier EM-1 model name does not guarantee inclusion. Check your VIN to confirm whether your specific vehicle is included.
What's the safety risk?
If the fuse holder overheats from arcing, it can melt and start a fire. There is no listed warning sign before this failure, so treat the recall as a prompt service item and arrange the retrofit when Carrier provides instructions. Repair will be free at any franchised Carrier dealer once available.
What should I do?
- Check your VIN to confirm your Carrier EM-1 evaporator is included in this recall.
- Watch for an owner notice with instructions for getting the free Carrier retrofit kit.
- Contact Carrier at 1-800-348-7440 if you need the kit instructions before a notice arrives, and reference recall number 12V179.
- Keep the bus out of service if you see melting, electrical arcing, or signs of heat near the EM-1 evaporator fuse holder.
What happens at the repair
Carrier has not listed a notification schedule for this recall. Once the repair opens, a Carrier technician will obtain the retrofit kit and install it using Carrier's repair instructions for the EM-1 evaporator. The work addresses the fuse holder in the motor assembly, where looseness can create high resistance and arcing. The final repair will be free once available, with parts and labor covered under the recall.
Timeline
| April 24, 2012 | NHTSA published the recall |
|---|
Frequently asked questions
What is recall 12V179?
Recall 12V179 covers 231 Carrier EM-1 evaporators installed as original equipment on school and transit buses. The fuse holder in the motor assembly can loosen over time, causing high resistance and arcing. Carrier provides a retrofit kit and repair instructions at no charge.
What should I do if my Carrier EM-1 is on this recall?
Check your VIN to confirm whether the bus with the Carrier EM-1 evaporator is included in recall 12V179. If it is, contact Carrier at 1-800-348-7440 and ask how to obtain the retrofit kit and repair instructions. The repair is free.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Federal recall law requires the recall repair to be performed at no cost, and the Carrier remedy provides the retrofit kit and repair instructions free of charge. Ask the service provider to reference recall 12V179 when arranging the work.
What is the safety risk?
The safety risk is fire. If enough arcing occurs inside the Carrier EM-1 evaporator fuse holder, the holder can melt and start a fire. Confirm whether the specific bus is included, then arrange the free retrofit repair.
More information
| NHTSA campaign page | nhtsa.gov/vehicle-recalls/12V179000 |
|---|---|
| Carrier customer service | 1-800-348-7440 |
| NHTSA recall # | 12V179 |
| NHTSA recall # (full) | 12V179000 |
Source documents
This article is generated from NHTSA's primary recall filings and reviewed against the source on June 2, 2026. RecallNotify does not paraphrase NHTSA's consequence language; that text is reproduced as written above. Editorial standards →