2004 Mci G4500 Recalls

THIS INVESTIGATION WAS PROMPTED BY A REVIEW OF SERVICE BULLETINS PROVIDED BYMCI TO THE AGENCY. MCI SUBMITTED A FIELD CHANGE PROGRAM BULLETIN IN THEIR JULY 2009 MONTHLY COMMUNICATIONS (49 CFR 597.5) SUBMISSION REGARDING A WHEELCHAIR LIFT INTERLOCK DOOR RETROFIT KIT FOR G4500 SERIES COACHES.PER THE BULLETIN, THE SLIDING WHEELCHAIR DOOR MAY BECOME UNLATCHED, THE VISUAL WARNING INDICATOR IN THE DRIVER'S AREA MAY GO UNNOTICED BY THE DRIVER AND THERE IS NO AUDIBLE WARNING.DURING THE REVIEW PROCESS, ODI LEARNED OF ACOMPLAINT FROM AN INDIVIDUAL WHOSE GROUP CHARTERED A G4500 MOTORCOACH AND REPORTEDLY THE WHEELCHAIR ACCESS DOOR ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BUS OPENED WHILE THE BUS WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 55 MPH.THE INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED TO ASSESS THE SCOPE AND SAFETY CONSEQUENCE OF THIS ISSUE.IN SEPTEMBER 2009, MCI FILED A SAFETY RECALL (09V-345) OUTLINING THEIR INTENDED REMEDY PROGRAM TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. MCI WILL ADD AN AUDIBLE ALARM TO ALERT THE DRIVER THAT THE DOOR IS NOT FULLY LATCHED. THEY ALSO INTEND TO REINFORCE THE UPPER DOOR LATCH TO IMPROVE LATCHING SYSTEM DURABILITY.THE ACTION TAKEN BY MCI RESOLVES THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION. ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.

THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED AFTER ODI WAS CONTACTED BY A FLEETALLEGING THAT THEY HAVE HAD NINE INCIDENTS WHERE CRACKS WERE FOUND IN THE BRACKET THAT SUPPORTS THE STEERING GEAR BOX ASSEMBLY.THESE CRACKS WERE ALLOWING MOVEMENT OF THE STEERING BOX.ODI WAS CONCERNED THAT SHOULD THIS BRACKET COMPLETELY FAIL WHILE THE BUS IS BEING DRIVEN, A LOSS OF STEERING WOULD OCCUR.AS A RESULT OF ODI'S INVESTIGATION, MCI HAS AGREED TO INITIATE A SAFETY RECALL TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL GUSSET TO THE BRACKETS AND REWELD AS NECESSARY. THE TARGET DATE FOR LAUNCHING THE CORRECTIVEACTION ISMARCH 31, 2007.MCI'S ACTIONRESOLVES THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED. THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION ON THESE VEHICLES IF WARRANTED IN THE FUTURE.

MCI ORIGINALLY FILED A DEFECT NOTIFICATION ON OCTOBER 20, 2003, (03V-411) TO ADDRESSCRACKS LOCATED ON THE TAG AXLE SWING ARM AT THE CONNECTION TO THE PIVOT SPINDLE TUBE.FOUR HUNDRED AND NINETY-THREE (493) MCI G4500 2000-2003 MOTOR COACHES WERE INVOLVED.MCI?S ENGINEERING ANALYSIS DETERMINED THAT INSUFFICIENT WELD METAL AND /OR WELD PENETRATION ON THE FAILED COMPONENTS COULD RESULT IN EARLY STRESS AND FATIGUE CRACKS AT A WELD JOINING THE TAG AXLE TO THE PIVOT TUBE ASSEMBLY.MCI'S FIELD REPAIR CONSISTED OF INSPECTING AND RE-WELDING THE TAG AXLE SWING ARM.A SMALL PERCENTAGE WERE NOT REPAIRABLE AND REQUIRED A FULL REPLACEMENT OF THE SWING ARM. ON JULY 18, 2006, ODI WAS CONTACTED BY A FLEETALLEGING THAT THEY HAD THREE TAG AXLE ARMS CRACK AND SUBSEQUENTLY BREAK IN THE SAME AREA REPAIRED BY MCI DURING THE SAFETY RECALL.AS A RESULT, ODI OPENED THIS RQ.MCI CONDUCTED FURTHER ANALYSIS AND DETERMINED THAT SOME OF THE PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED SWING ARMS, REPAIRED DURING RECALL 03V-411 MAY HAVE BEEN REPAIRED WITH EXISTING UNIDENTIFIED MICRO-FRACTURES AND/OR WELDS WITH INSUFFICIENT PENETRATION.THIS COULD LEAD TO FURTHER CRACKING AND RESULT IN A PARTIAL OR TOTAL SEPARATION OR THE TAG ARM. AS A RESULT OF THIS INVESTIGATION, MCI HAS ANNOUNCED A NEW SAFETY RECALL IN WHICH THEY WILL REPLACE ALL THE TAG ARMS WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED TAG AXLE SWING ARM.MCI'S NEW RECALL ACTIONRESOLVES THIS INVESTIGATION.THEREFORE, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESSION OF THE NEW RECALL BEING CONDUCTED BY MCI.