The Recall Desk
SevereNHTSA·10E049000·Announced 2010-10-08

Norcold Recalls RV Refrigerators Due to Fire Risk

Norcold is recalling specific gas absorption refrigerators for recreational vehicles because their safety sensors may not shut off power quickly enough to prevent a fire.

What this means for you

Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a risk of fire, which is a significant injury/property-damage hazard. Per the rubric, significant injury or property-damage reports or risks warrant a score of 4 (Severe).

Plain-English summary

Norcold Inc. is recalling certain gas absorption refrigerators sold for use in recreational vehicles. This recall covers models 1200, 1201, 1210, and 1211, including specific sub-models such as 1200AC, 1200ACIM, 1200LR, 1200LRIM, and 1201LRIM. The affected units were manufactured between December 1996 and October 6, 2010, and have cooling unit serial numbers ranging from 700000 to 13085759, non-consecutively. This action supersedes previous recall campaigns 02E-045, 08E-030, 09E-026, and 09E-027.

The recall is necessary because the existing safety mechanisms, which include a sensing algorithm or a thermal switch designed to shut off power during high temperatures, have insufficient response times. Norcold determined that these devices may not stop power quickly enough to prevent a potential fire if temperatures rise excessively.

Owners of these refrigerators should contact Norcold at 1-800-767-9101 or their vehicle manufacturer to arrange a free remedy. The corrective action involves affixing a thermocouple with a faster response time to the refrigerators to prevent temperature elevation that could lead to a fire. The safety recall began on October 19, 2010.

The recalled product

Product
EQUIPMENT recall
Manufacturer
NORCOLD INC.
Category
Consumer Product — Refrigeration
Hazard
Affected units
151,795

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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