RoadVitals

2004 Mci 102EL3

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
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Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
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Latest Jan 7, 2019
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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Overview

Our database contains no NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2004 Mci 102EL3. 3 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 2 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Safety recalls

3 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
19V027000

STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

Jan 7, 2019
2,089 units potentially affected
The defect: Motor Coach Industries (MCI) is recalling certain 2001-2015 J4500 and 1997-2013 102EL3/E4500 coaches equipped with a hydraulic rear axle (tag axle) steering system. The axle's alignment and low hydraulic pressure in the steering system may cause the steering system to lock, causing a loss of steering control at highway speeds.
The risk: Loss of steering control may increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy: MCI will inspect and repair axle alignment, as necessary, free of charge. MCI issued owners an interim notification on March 26, 2019. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 14, 2021. Owners may contact MCI customer service at 1-800-241-2947. MCI's number for this recall is SB 469.
Motor Coach IndustriesManufacturer number SB 469View on NHTSA.gov
06V241000

VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

Jul 6, 2006
1,768 units potentially affected
The defect: ON CERTAIN MOTOR COACHES EQUIPPED WITH A SLIDE SWITCH TO CONTROL THE DEFROSTER BLOWER SPEED, THERE IS A SPEED CONTROLLER FOR EACH OF THE TWO DEFROSTER FAN MOTORS. THE SPEED CONTROLLER MAY FAIL CAUSING THE FAN MOTOR TO OPERATE CONTINUOUSLY IN THE "HIGH" SPEED MODE, AND THE CARRIER SLIDE SWITCH MAY FAIL TO REDUCE OR OTHERWISE CONTROL THE FAN MOTOR SPEED.
The risk: THE SPEED CONTROLLER MAY OVERHEAT AND RESULT IN A THERMAL EVEN, SUCH AS SMOKING OR POSSIBLE FIRE.
The remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DEFROSTER SPEED CONTROLLER FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 20, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MOTOR COACH AT 1-800-241-2947.
MOTOR COACH INDUSTRIES, INCView on NHTSA.gov
06V140000

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL

Apr 27, 2006
4,765 units potentially affected
The defect: ON CERTAIN MOTOR COACHES EQUIPPED WITH DETROIT DIESEL SERIES 60 ENGINES, THE TURBOCHARGER COMPRESSORS CAN FAIL.
The risk: A FIRE CAN RESULT SHOULD THE TURBOCHARGER FAIL.
The remedy: DETROIT DIESEL IS CONDUCTING THIS RECALL (PLEASE SEE 06E019000) AND WILL REMEDY THESE MOTOR COACHES. THE ENGINES WILL BE REPAIRED FREE OF CHARGE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DETROIT DIESEL AT 313-592-3708 OR MOTOR COACH AT 866-624-2622.
MOTOR COACH INDUSTRIES, INCView on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

EA12007ClosedEngineering Analysis

MCI Drive Shaft Safety Loop Failures

Opened Sep 13, 2012
Closed Dec 3, 2015

In the fall of 2011, network contacts made ODI aware of four (4) incidents of drive shaft failure on the subject buses involving a loss of vehicle control.Two of the incidents were relatively low speed non-crash events; and two resulted in motor coach rollovers.All four events showed signs of a common failure mode.The incidents and crashes studied during this investigation all resulted from a series of complex events that began with the the yoke journal ears on the drive shafts fracturing.Once the drive shaft failed. it was not adequately contained by a drive shaft safety loop or structure.The spinning and unrestrained drive shaft caused severe damage to components on the steerable tag axle at the rear of the vehicle and created a forced steering condition.Once the rear of the bus was being forcibly steered by the tag axle, the driver lost control of the vehicle.These conclusions are based on the forensics evidence and testing conducted by the Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC).The VRTC test report is attached to this closing resume that provides details on how the test center was able to conclusively identify the defective components on the buses and demonstrate the sequence of events that caused the buses to crash.Prior to the drive shaft failure events, there were no indications of improper maintenance or that maintenance was required that would have prevented the incidents.Additionally, the U-joints on the incident vehicles were found to be in good working condition at the time of the failure. Finally, records of driver interviews indicated a sudden onset of the failure with no warning.Following the VRTC testing, MCI issued recall 14V-335 involving certain model year 1993-1995 102DL3 motor coaches manufactured November 1992 to January 1995, and 2006 and 2008 D4505 motor coaches manufactured June 2005 to April 2008.The affected buses are equipped with a drive shaft with a compressed length of 30 inches or less (allowing it to escape containment if it fails), a steerable trailing tag axle equipped with a system that changes the axle caster when the vehicle is in reverse travel and no electronic stability control (ESC).Recall 14V-335 addresses the concerns of this investigation.The ODI report cited above can be viewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID: ODI Number 10447575.

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINELed to recall 14V335000

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

No owner complaints recorded for this model year

Either none have been filed with NHTSA, or this vehicle is too new for reports to have accumulated.

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

SB-357

MOTOR COACH INDUDSTRIES: INFORMATION ON REPLACING THE COOLANT PUMP THAT MAY HAVE A PROBLEM. *RM

354

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION; POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM); POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

MOTOR COACH INDUSTRIES SERVICE CAMPAIGN: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. THERE MAY BE A HARSH DOWNSHIFT, RPM FLARE, OR THE TRANSMISSION MAY LOCK. *RM

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Mci 102EL3 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2013010—
2012010—
2011010—
2010010—
2009010—
2008010—
2007010—
2006011—
2005031—
2004Viewing031—
2003031—
2002031—
2001041—
2000031—
1999010—
1998010—
1997010—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.