Drummondville, Canada – Jan. 24, 2017 – Corp. Micro Bird Inc., a major manufacturer of school buses, has announced the recall of numerous bus models as a result of multiple defects, affecting bus operation and safety.

The Defects

Corp. Micro Bird will be recalling model year 2015-2017 Micro Bird T-Series buses. Two groups will be recalled in response to two separate defects. The first includes buses manufactured between Aug. 24, 2015 and Nov. 30, 2016. The second involves those built on Ford chassis and manufactured between Oct. 1, 2014 and Dec. 15, 2016.

The first group is being recalled as a result of a defective battery-powered wheelchair lift. These lifts contain interlocks that can be deactivated by drivers, allowing the bus to be operated while the lift is down. This may destabilize the buses as they are driven, and may also increase the risk of damage and injury to other nearby vehicles.

The second recall is in response to defective frame extension adaptors. During an accident, force that is applied to seat belts on seats installed just above the frame extension adapters will put pressure on the adapters, causing them to deform. This, in turn, can increase the chance of injury to passengers.

Timeline of Events

• Nov. 9, 2016 – Corp. Micro Bird conducted a mandatory test of seats attached to the last rows of the affected buses, located over the frame extensions. During the test, mechanics observed significant damage to the frame extension adapters and the floors of the buses.
• Nov. 11, 2016 – Corp. Micro Bird received pictures of results of the initial tests. However, they were not clear enough to indicate the specific causes of the damage observed.
• Nov. 23, 2016 –  Bus chassis were sent to a Corp. Micro Bird facility for further inspection. Mechanics determined that the problem was not due to a defect in the specific vehicle, but rather a component design issue that would have affected all buses manufactured during a specific time frame.
• Nov. 30, 2016 – Meanwhile, another routine inspection of different buses from the same manufacturer noted that some vehicles could be started even when the power-lift switches were in the off position. This prevented the lift from being operated, so that if it was stored it could not be deployed, and if it had been deployed it could not be retracted, even if the bus was moving. The manufacturer decided that this issue presented a safety ris​k that would have to be addressed by the recall process.
• Dec. 8, 2016 – Corp. Micro Bird decided that the frame extension adapter issue posed a risk to all vehicles with a similar design, and decided that a safety recall would be the most prudent option.

Resolution

Remedy of the powered wheelchair lift issue will be the responsibility of bus owners. Corp. Micro Bird will send materials and all necessary instructions to each owner. This will be done free of charge. Meanwhile, the recall schedule for the frame extension adapter issue has not yet been determined, nor has the specific remedy. The manufacturer plans to release a recall schedule soon, and owners can contact Corp. Micro Bird for more information.

Appleton, Wis. – Jan. 17, 2017 – Pierce Manufacturing, a maker of emergency vehicles, has announced a recall related to engine trouble that could result in an increased risk of fire during operation.

The Defect

Pierce will be recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Dash emergency vehicles manufactured between Oct. 17, 2014 and Sept. 30, 2016, according to documents compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The specific vehicles in question contain Cummins ISL engines.

The problem is that the starter motor in these vehicles may be damaged, due to incorrect cab-lift pump brackets. This may cause holes to develop in starter motor housing, which will in turn cause contamination to enter the starter and prevent the vehicle from turning on. In addition, affected vehicles may experience electrical shorts that can cause the starter to overheat or even ignite.

Timeline of Events

• October 2016 – During a routine service check in the field, a technician discovered a problem with a cab lift pump bracket and notified Pierce. The technician then sought more information on the implications of the defect.
• November 2016 – Pierce conducted additional investigation into the problem and learned from suppliers that holes could develop in the starter motor housing, possibly causing additional problems.
• December 2016 – Pierce announced that it would issue a recall.

Resolution

Pierce said that it will inspect all recalled vehicles to determine whether they have the proper brackets. Those with the wrong components will receive replacements, and any damaged starter motors will be repaired. This will be done free of charge.

Auburn Hills, Mich. – Jan. 16, 2017 – A Swedish auto parts supplier that serves thousands of vehicle models will conduct a safety recall of its seatbelts and airbags, according to documents compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Autoliv, Inc. has announced that it will recall products that are malfunctioning due to manufacturing defects, which could potentially lead to failure.

The Defect

Autoliv will recall A12 seat belt and air bag initiators manufactured between June 16, 2016 and Nov. 4, 2016. These may contain the wrong generant mix ratio, which means that both the air bags and seat belt pretensioners could fail to deploy during a crash. This could lead to the serious injury or death of the vehicle occupants.

Timeline of Events

• Oct. 3, 2016 – Two tests that occurred at different Autoliv plants showed nonconforming results, prompting the manufacturer to open an investigation into the issue.
• Nov. 4, 2016 – Autoliv identified the defect and a potential cause, noting that a Programmable Logic Controller had been loading the incorrect chemical ratio and needed to be reprogrammed.
• Nov. 16, 2016 – Autoliv determined that a software programming change on the Programmable Logic Controller was ultimately responsible for the error, and used this information to pinpoint the exact dates during which the defects may have gone through.
• Nov. 30, 2016 – The manufacturer held a meeting with the NHTSA regarding the issue and discussed next steps.

Resolution

All vehicle manufacturers that use these products have been informed, and will work to send out recall notices to those who have purchased affected vehicles.

Dec. 26, 2016 – Elkhart, Ind. – Forest River Inc. has announced the recall of several model motor homes with defective ladders, which could prove to be dangerous.

The Defect

The recall will affect the following four model years of vehicles:

• 2015-2017 FR3 motor homes manufactured between Sept.24, 2014 and May 12, 2016
• 2015-2017 Prime Time Spartan toy haulers manufactured between June 10, 2014 and May 31, 2016
• 2013-2016 Palomino Columbus toy haulers manufactured between Oct. 4, 2012 and Dec. 4, 2015
• 2015-2016 XLR Thunderbolt and Nitro toy haulers manufactured between May 23, 2014 and Nov. 23, 2016

The ladders on these vehicles are welded to mounting plates that may separate from their hinges, according to documents compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The inadequate welding meant that if too much weight was applied to the ladders, they might separate from their vehicles.

Timeline of Events

• Nov. 2, 2016 – The Office of Corporate Compliance at Forest River learned of the possible defect from Christianson Industries and launched an investigation of the problem.
• Nov. 3-4, 2016 – Forest River confirmed that the ladders it had installed on its vehicles were made by Christianson Industries. The company then concluded that a recall would be the best course of action.

Resolution

All owners will be notified of the recall. Forest Hills plans to mail out a repair kit to all owners that will allow them to make the necessary fixes. This kit will contain six brackets, six bolts and six lock washers, as well as mechanical fasteners. These will be shipped out free of charge.

Murrieta, Calif. – Dec. 22, 2016 – KTM North America has issued a safety recall for several motorcycle models that have experienced brake line problems that could lead to sudden failure.

The Defect

KTM will recall model year 2015-2016 1290 Super Adventure motorcycles manufactured between Dec. 1, 2014 and March 10, 2016, and model year 2013-2016 1190 Adventure and Adventure R motorcycles manufactured between Nov. 20, 2012 and April 25, 2016. According to documents compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the vehicles affected have frayed wiring harnesses that allows brake lines to form electrical connections between ABS modulators and the vehicle ground. If these connections are maintained, the brake lines can overheat and melt, losing effectiveness.

Timeline of Events

• June 2016: A customer service claim came through Germany that indicated a problem with motorcycle brake lines. Further investigation revealed that this was a rare defect, but one that could pose a serious problem under a specific set of circumstances.
• December 2016: Following a lengthy investigation, KTM determined that a recall was in order.

Resolution

KTM North America will notify all registered motorcycle owners about their potential for being affected. Owners are advised to avoid operating their vehicles until they have been repaired, as the functionality of the brake lines will not be guaranteed until then.

Dealers will have to inspect and reposition all brake lines and harnesses on motorcycles in their inventories before any future deliveries will be allowed to go out. In addition, KTM will keep the federal government updated on the progress of the recall.

Dec. 21, 2016 – Wyoming, Minn. – The potential for sudden fuel leakage has caused Indian Motorcycle Company to recall several models of its motorcycles, according to new documents compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Defect

Indian Motorcycle will recall the model year 2014-2017 Chief Classic, Chief Dark Horse, Vintage, Chieftain, Chieftain Dark Horse, Springfield and Roadmaster motorcycles manufactured between April 15, 2013 and July 15, 2016. The manufacturer explained that fuel rail tubes are flexible enough to be inadvertently positioned. In the event that a fuel rail comes in contact with other components, there is a chance that it will rupture, resulting in a fuel leak. This, in turn, could cause a fire.

Timeline of Events

Indian Motorcycle’s parent company, Polaris Industries, discovered the defect after related warranty requests began to pile up. First, the company called for a “root cause analysis” of the failures, according to NHTSA documents. It then began to evaluate the components and concluded that fuel rails may exhibit signs of moisture or chafing at the point of eventual failure. The company then decided to conduct a safety recall.

The manufacturer does not believe that any accidents, injuries or deaths have been linked to this defect thus far.

Resolution 

Indian Motorcycles will notify all owners of the issue and will fix it free of charge. The manufacturer will install a remedy bracket to prevent fuel rails from moving, and will also design future fuel rails with tighter joint tolerances. This will give the fuel rails additional clearance among other components and prevent contact.

Ocala, Fla. – Dec. 16, 2016 – E-One Inc. is announcing the recall of certain tandem axle Cyclone fire trucks due to problems with their suspension air bags, which could reduce vehicle stability.

The Defect

E-One will recall Cyclone vehicles from model years 2010-2016 manufactured between July 15, 2010 and June 12, 2016, according to documents compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. These vehicles have FIREMAAX suspension and aerial jack legs, which are meant to hold them steady when the vehicles are parked and ladders are extended. However, the suspension air bags may lose pressure, resulting in damage and eventual failure. This could mean loss of vehicle stability and an increased risk of crashes.

Timeline of Events

• During a recent training event, E-One received an email regarding failed FIREMAAX air bags.
• E-One investigated the failure and determined that the cause was a rapid jack retraction on depressurized air bags that occurred when wheels were removed from the ground for an extended period of time – such as when vehicle ladders were in use. Further investigation revealed that this was not a universal problem. In fact, E-One found that only tandem axle FIREMAAX suspension lost pressure.
• E-One determined that the affected vehicles ought to be recalled Nov. 10, 2016.

Resolution

Departments that own vehicles that are part of this recall should contact E-One for further instructions. Trucks that have the relevant components should be taken to the nearest dealership, where they will received pressure protection valves on their height control valves. This will prevent the air bags from slowly depressurizing when deployed. The work will be done at no cost to owners.

Dorlisheim, France — May 02, 2016 — Three different issues have prompted multiple recalls for different Bugatti Veyron cars. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration listed two different recalls on April 7 for the same model, albeit for varying model years. Neither of these have any incidents or damage reports associated with them, and the manufacturer has not issued a set recall date for any of them to begin.

The first of these involves a group of 13 Veyron vehicles, produced between October and December 2006 for model years ranging between 2006 and 2008. The protection on the B+ Cable in these vehicles could corrode, leading to a possible fire if flammable material is present. The problem comes from water exposure to the cable, and the fix will prevent this from happening.

Bugatti’s second recall concerns 72 Veyron and Veyron Grand Sport recalls split into two groups: those produced between 2006 and 2010, and those produced between 2009 and 2010. Both of these sets have faulty sensors that may lead to incorrect fuel tank readings . This is dangerous for drivers, who could mistakenly believe they have more fuel than they actually do, based on this signal. The solution requires a replacement for the fuel tank control unit.

A press release on Autoblog mentions a third, slightly older Bugatti recall, this one impacting Veyron, Veyron Grand Sport and Veyron Super Sport autos. The oldest of these model years dates back to 2006, and the newest is 2013.

While this recall also concerns corrosion, this time the aluminum reference plates on the underside of the vehicle are the areas that could be affected. With enough wear, these plates could detach from the vehicle entirely, leaving the occupants at risk while also posing a road hazard. Dealers will solve this problem by riveting the plates to the body of the vehicles more securely.

A series of GM recalls for police vehicles with power steering problems also involved corrosion. The NHTSA recorded this action on March 28.

Detroit, MI — April 27, 2015 — The Associated Press recently reported that a clutch issue with Harley-Davidson motorcycles triggered a recall that began last Thursday. Six different types of motorcycle models, including Electra Glide, Ultra Limited and Police Electra Glide, were targeted, having been linked to 27 crashes.

In total, the recall will affect around 46,000 different cycles. The specific defect involves the master cylinder in the clutch: Riders using these bikes will not be able to take them out of gear, leading to possible control issues. Dealers are reportedly going to address this problem by rebuilding the cylinder.

Harley-Davidson has issued multiple recalls recently for motorcycle faults. Earlier this month, the company also thousands of 2015 bikes that were manufactured without rear reflectors. While the remedy is simply to install a new one, the official recall document released through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that the reflector-less vehicles would violate the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.

“If the motorcycle is missing the rear reflector it can reduce the vehicle’s visibility to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash,” the statement said. Like the clutch-related recall, this reflector one also began this month and concerned motorcycles produced between 2014 and 2015. The company also recalled motorcycles last December for brake cylinder issues, although the vehicles concerned in that case were from older manufacture years.

All recall notices need to follow the same consistent format to give consumers important details about the defect, consequences and remedy. Once they know this, they should turn to the well-informed dealers, who will make replacing the faulty parts and restoring the vehicle to its proper working state. Vehicles operated during the recall period without being fixed are possible hazards to owners and the people around them.