NHTSA Investigation PE03034

PASSENGER DOOR INTERLOCK MALFUNCTION

THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED BASED ON A SINGLE, OHIO FLEETCOMPLAINT ON A MODEL YEAR 2000 BUS WITH 151,000 MILES.VRTC TEST ENGINEERS VISITED THE FLEET AND CONFIRMED THE EXISTENCE OF THE PROBLEM, A STUCK DOOR.THE SYTEM IS DESIGNED SUCH THAT WHEN THE DOOR SYSTEM IS ENGAGED, TWO STEEL PINS DROP IN PLACE FOR SAFETY PURPOSES.THE PINS SHOULD DISENGAGE WHEN THE BUS TRANSMISSION IS IN A NEUTRAL POSITION.THERE IS AN OVERRIDE SWITCH IN THE EVENT OF A FAILURE.VRTC TEST ENGINEERS CONFIRMED ON THE COMPLAINT BUS THAT THE PINS WOULD BECOME STUCK AND NOT DISENGAGE, ELIMINATING THAT DOOR AS AN EXIT, WHICH COULD BE A CONCERN IN AN EMERGENCY,AS A RESULT OF ODI'S INQUIRY, BLUEBIRD SUMBITTED INFORMATION WHICH INDICATED NO CONSUMER COMPLAINTS OR FIELD REPORTS RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT.BLUEBIRD DID IDENTIFY 301 WARRANTY CLAIMS. HOWEVER, THESE WERE NORMAL MAINTENANCE ITEMS SUCH AS REPAIRS FOR DAMAGE, MISSING TRIM, AND ROUTINE ADJUSTMENTS OF OPERATING AIR CYLINDERS, ELECTRONIC CONTROL SWITCHES, MANUAL DEADLBOLT LOCKS, ETC.ODI CONTACTED THREE FLEET SERVICE MANAGERS SERVICING 46 SUBJECT BUSES.THE FLEET MANAGERS REPORTED NO CONINUOUS PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE OPERATION OF THE ENTRY DOORS OF VEHICLES WITHIN THEIR FLEETS.ODI CONCLUDES THAT NO SAFETY DEFECT TREND EXISTS IN THE SUBJECT BUSES AND, THEREFORE, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION ON THE VEHICLES IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCS.

An investigation is a separate record from a recall and from a manufacturer communication. A manufacturer campaign to repair a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard.