Braun Northwest Recalls 2020-2021 Northstar Ambulances for Electrical Fire Risk
Braun Northwest is recalling 2020-2021 Northstar ambulances because a firmware defect may cause electrical circuits to overheat and increase the risk of fire.
What this means for you
Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).
The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.
Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural vehicle defect (electrical system) that explicitly increases the risk of fire, meeting the criteria for a Severe (4) rating under the rubric for significant injury/property-damage reports or structural defects.
Plain-English summary
Braun Northwest is recalling certain 2020-2021 Northstar ambulances. The recall addresses a defect in the vehicle multiplex system firmware. In the event of a short circuit or wiring failure, the firmware may fail to shut off the output pin, resulting in overloaded electrical circuits.
Overloaded electrical circuits can overheat, which increases the risk of fire. No specific number of affected units is provided in the source text, but the recall covers the 2020 and 2021 model years of the Northstar Ambulance.
Braun Northwest will update the firmware free of charge to correct the issue. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 12, 2024. Owners may contact Braun Northwest customer service at 1-877-344-9990 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.
The recalled product
- Product
- NORTHSTAR AMBULANCE
- Brand
- NORTHSTAR
- Manufacturer
- Braun Northwest
- Category
- Vehicle — Ambulance
- Hazard
- Affected units
- 2
Is your product affected?
Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.
Model numbers (1)
- AMBULANCE
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.
Related recalls
Same brand · NORTHSTAR
- HighNorthStar Ambulance Recall for Display Lockup Hazard
NHTSA · 2021-04-30
Same manufacturer · Braun Northwest
See all →- Severe
Same hazard · fire
See all →- SevereVQQQ Gas Patio Heaters Recalled for Fire and Burn Hazards
CPSC · 2026-10-22
- SevereForest River Recalls 2026-2027 Cedar Creek Trailers for Fire Risk
NHTSA · 2026-10-16
- SevereAlliance RV Recalls Valor and Delta Trailers Due to Fire Risk
NHTSA · 2026-10-16
- Severe3M Recalls Scotch Thermal Laminators Due to Fire Hazard
CPSC · 2026-10-15
- SevereToyota Recalls Land Cruiser Hybrid Vehicles for Fuel Leak Risk
NHTSA · 2026-10-14
Similar recalls
- SevereBraun Ambulances Recalls 2023-2024 Models Due to Electrical Fire Risk
NHTSA · 2024-04-30
- HighNorthStar Ambulance Recall for Display Lockup Hazard
NHTSA · 2021-04-30
- SevereBraun Ambulances Recall 2020-2024 Models Due to Electrical Fire Risk
NHTSA · 2024-02-01
- SevereRosenbauer Fire Apparatus Recalled for Electrical Circuit Overload Risk
NHTSA · 2023-12-22
- SevereBraun Ambulances Recall 2020-2021 Models Due to Lighting Failure Risk
NHTSA · 2022-05-24
- HighBraun Ambulances Recall 2014-2022 Models Due to HVAC Fire Risk
NHTSA · 2022-12-09