2002 Orion Orion Vii

THE PURPOSE OF THIS INVESTIGATION WAS TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE TIP-IN STYLE TRANSOM WINDOWS SUPPLIED TO DAIMLER BUSES FOR USE ON BUSES IT MANUFACTURED, AND CONCERNING WHICH THAT COMPANY MADE A DEFECT DETERMINATION, WERE SUPPLIED TO ANY OTHER VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS OR AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT AND, IF SO, TO PROMPT ADDITIONAL SAFETY RECALLS IF AND WHERE NEEDED.RMD ISSUED A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION TO THE WINDOWS' MANUFACTURER, HEHR INTERNATIONAL, INC. (HEHR) ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2009, INQUIRING ABOUT ITS DISTRIBUTION OF THE WINDOWS AND SOLICITING ITS OPINION AS TO WHETHER A SAFETY DEFECT EXISTED IN THOSE WINDOWS.HEHR RESPONDED ON OCTOBER 28, 2009, THAT IT HAD NOT SUPPLIED THE WINDOWS TO ANYONE OTHER THAN DAIMLER BUSES.IT ALSO OPINED THAT THE WINDOWS DID NOT CONTAIN A SAFETY DEFECT AND THAT ANY SCREW LOOSENING, AND CONSEQUENTIAL WINDOW COLLAPSE, WOULD BE DUE TO A FAILURE TO PROPERLY RETIGHTEN A SCREW AFTER MAINTENANCE, AS OPPOSED TO A DEFECT INHERENT TO THE DESIGN OR MANUFACTURE OF THE SCREWS OR WINDOWS.IN SUPPORT OF ITS OPINION, IT PROVIDED A SUMMARY OF HISTORICAL FIELD DATA AND ITS FIELD INSPECTION INVESTIGATION, NEITHER OF WHICH DEMONSTRATED ABERRANT PERFORMANCE.IT ALSO PROVIDED A SUMMARY OF TESTING CONDUCTED BY AN INDEPENDENT TESTING FACILITY DEMONSTRATING THAT THE SCREWS WOULD NOT LOOSEN AS MANUFACTURED. IN VIEW OF HEHR'S RESPONSE AND THE INFORMATION PROVIDED THEREIN, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.

THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED AFTER ODI VISITED A TRANSIT FLEET FACILITY AND NOTICED A BUS THAT HAD EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE.FURTHER EXAMINATION OF OTHER BUSES INDICATED THAT THE EXHAUST SYSTEM THERMAL BLANKETS WERE DETERIORATING AND MAY HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE THERMAL EVENT.AS A RESULT OF ODI?S INVESTIGATION, ORION HAS AGREED TO CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL TO REPLACE THE THERMAL BLANKETS WITH BLANKETS HAVING A HIGHER THERMAL RATING AND DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A SLIP-OVERLAP FIT BETWEEN THE THREE BLANKETS. THIS ALLOWS MAXIMUM COVERAGE OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEM BY THE THERMAL BLANKETS.A COPY OF THE RECALL IS ATTACHED.ORION'S PROPOSED ACTIONRESOLVES THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.

ORION BUS IS UNAWARE OF ANYOTHER OWNER REPORTS OF EXHAUST SYSTEM FLEX PIPE FAILURES AND BELIEVES THAT THE REPORTED FAILUREIS A SINGLE, ISOLATED INCIDENT.THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FLEX PIPE STATED THAT THEY HAVE SOLD 250,OOO UNITSAND NO OTHERFAILURES HAVE BEEN REPORTED.THEY BELIEVE THE COMPLAINT VEHICLE WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. BASED ON ORION'S DATA, ODI FIELD WORK,AND THE LACK OF ANY OTHER IDENTIFED FAILURES, A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT TREND DOES NOT EXIST AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES ARE UNWARRANTED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXIST.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION ON THE VEHICLES IN THE FUTURE IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR FIELD REPORTS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION IF INDICATED.