2021 PROTERRA CATALYST — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
1
Owner Complaint
5
Recalls
8
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2021 PROTERRA CATALYST
The 2021 PROTERRA CATALYST has received a total of 1 safety complaint filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 6 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. 8 technical service bulletins have been issued by Phoenix Motorcars for this model year. The most commonly reported problem area is the Electrical System (1 complaint).
Recalls for the 2021 PROTERRA CATALYST
NHTSA has recorded 6 recalls for the 2021 PROTERRA CATALYST, potentially affecting up to 2,566 vehicles.
Recall 23V697000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
| 238 vehicles affected
Defect: Proterra Operating Company, Inc. (Proterra) is recalling certain 2019-2022 40' and 35' Catalyst 800V transit buses equipped with ProDrive 1.0, and 40' and 35' ZX5 800V transit buses equipped with ProDrive 1.0. A transistor inside the inverter may overheat and fail, which can result in a loss of power steering and drive power.
Consequence: A loss of power steering and/or drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the inverter, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 16, 2023. Owners may contact Proterra customer service at 1-864-438-0000.
View full details →Recall 24V655000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
| 483 vehicles affected
Defect: Phoenix Motorcars (Phoenix) is recalling certain 2019-2021 800V Catalyst and 2020-2022 ZX5 transit buses. The vehicle controller software may allow the electrical circuit for the radiator fan to overheat.
Consequence: Electrical circuits that overheat increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will update the vehicle software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 15, 2024. Owners may contact Phoenix customer service at 1-909-987-0815.
View full details →Recall 24V655000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
| 483 vehicles affected
Defect: Phoenix Motorcars (Phoenix) is recalling certain 2019-2021 800V Catalyst and 2020-2022 ZX5 transit buses. The vehicle controller software may allow the electrical circuit for the radiator fan to overheat.
Consequence: Electrical circuits that overheat increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will update the vehicle software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 15, 2024. Owners may contact Phoenix customer service at 1-909-987-0815.
View full details →Recall 23V078000 — VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR
| 252 vehicles affected
Defect: Proterra Operating Company, Inc. (Proterra) is recalling certain 2020-2022 35" Catalyst, 35" ZX5, and 40" ZX5 vehicles. The windshield wiper motors may operate intermittently or may fail to operate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 104, "Windshield Wiping and Washing Systems."
Consequence: Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the wiper motors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 3, 2023. Owners may contact Proterra customer service at 1-864-438-0000.
View full details →Recall 22V855000 — PARKING BRAKE
| 386 vehicles affected
Defect: Proterra Operating Company, Inc. (Proterra) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Catalyst and 2019-2022 ZX5 transit buses. Back pressure in the shared air exhaust for the pneumatic ride height system and parking brake control valve may engage the parking brake while the vehicle is in motion.
Consequence: Unintentional engagement of the parking brake increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Proterra will install a redesigned air circuit, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on December 21, 2022. Owners may contact Proterra's customer service at 1-864-438-0000.
View full details →Recall 22V114000 — STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)
| 724 vehicles affected
Defect: Proterra, Inc. (Proterra) is recalling certain 2017-2019 35 foot Catalyst E2, 2017-2019 40 foot E2, 2020-2021 35 foot RR, 2019-2020 40 foot RR, 2019-2022 40 foot ZX5, and 2020-2022 35 foot ZX5 buses. The plexus adhesive between the torque limiter plate and the bus body may be insufficient, causing the bolts that secure the steering gearbox to loosen.
Consequence: A loose steering gearbox can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will install a mechanical fastener and new bolts on the steering gearbox, and install a new torque plate, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 7, 2022. Owners may contact Proterra's customer service at 1-864-438-0000.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2021 PROTERRA CATALYST
1 complaint has been filed with NHTSA for the 2021 PROTERRA CATALYST. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
The contact called on behalf of the University that owns several 2021 Proterra Catalyst Transit Bus. The University received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V697000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that there was an unstated electrical failure with one of the buses, rendering the bus inoperable. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that there were seven additional buses included in the fleet. The failure mileage was 15,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Safety Rating for the 2021 PROTERRA CATALYST
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2021 PROTERRA CATALYST in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2021 PROTERRA CATALYST
Phoenix Motorcars has issued 8 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2021 PROTERRA CATALYST. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
SC-23-055 — SERVICE BRAKES
Relocation of the air compressors intake as well as adding a preliminary filter at the top of the air intake..
SC-21-176 — STRUCTURE:BODY
Transit bus torque update to HVJB in the rear trunk of the bus.
SC-21-147 — STRUCTURE:BODY
Transit bus repair for rear modesty panel to replace wall bracket that is prone to cracking.
SC-21-161 — STRUCTURE:BODY
Transit bus repair at the rear doors, door seal is screw into the body. This repair procedure includes installing inserts into the body to keep seal from coming loose.
SC-21-174 — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Transit bus repair on the high voltage batteries. An improper ground screw might have been installed causing the battery to go offline and reduce range of the vehicle.
SC-21-119 — STRUCTURE:BODY
Transit bus repair at the front charge port compartment to update the hardware used on the hinges to be corrosion protected.
SC-21-086 — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Transit bus software update to the batteries, charge controller and vehicle controller. Fixes coolant level LEDs, ESM updated specific parameters around temperatures and auto pack configuration.
SC-21-077 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Transit bus software update to the batteries, charge controller and vehicle controller. Fixes coolant level LEDs, ESM updated specific parameters around temperatures and auto pack configuration, BMS SW resolves brick imbalance, min/max humidity levels.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2021 PROTERRA CATALYST
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the PROTERRA CATALYST
- 2016 PROTERRA CATALYST — 0 complaints
- 2017 PROTERRA CATALYST — 0 complaints
- 2018 PROTERRA CATALYST — 0 complaints
- 2019 PROTERRA CATALYST — 0 complaints
- 2020 PROTERRA CATALYST — 0 complaints
- 2021 PROTERRA CATALYST (current)
- 2022 PROTERRA CATALYST — 0 complaints
Other PROTERRA Models
- PROTERRA ECORIDE — 0 total complaints
- PROTERRA ZX5 — 0 total complaints