2002 Thomas Built Buses Minotour Drw

THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION OPENED THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATIONAFTERBECOMING AWARE THAT FLEETS WERE HAVING HANDLE FAILURES ON THE REAR EMERGENCY DOOR EXIT.THE FAILURE RESULTED IN THE DOOR HANDLE SEPARATING FROM THEDOOR LATCH MECHANISM.WHEN THE HANDLE FAILS, THE REAR EMERGENCY EXIT DOOR CAN NOT BE OPENED FROM OUTSIDE THE BUS.THE FAILURE RESULTS FROM CORROSION OF THE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE AROUND THE SECURING ROLL PIN AND SQUARE DRIVE LATCH MECHANISM, CAUSING THE PROTECTIVE FINISH TO CHIP AND FLAKE.CONTINUED CORROSION WEAKENS THE HANDLE AND EVENTUALLY THE HANDLE MAY BREAK WHILE TRYING TO OPEN THE EXIT DOOR.ODI WAS CONCERNED THAT DURING AN EMERGENCY, A PERSON OUTSIDE OF THE BUS WOULD BREAK THE DOOR HANDLE WHILE TRYING TO OPEN THE EMERGENCY EXIT DOOR,POTENTIALLY DELAYING EVACUATION OF THE BUS.UNDER THE SAFETY RECALL, THE ALUMINUM HANDLES WILL BE REPLACED WITH A MORE ROBUST HANDLE.THE RECALL ACTION RESOLVES THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION. ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.

THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED AFTER ODI RECEIVED NOTIFICATION FROM TWO FLEETS ALLEGING THEDISCOVERY OFNUMEROUS SEAT BELTS WITH CUT WEBBING AS A RESULT OF THE WEBBING ABRADING AGAINST ANUNDERSEAT METAL BRACKET.THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE CLASS A SCHOOL BUSES WEIGHING UNDER 10,000 POUNDS.THEY ARE REQUIRED BY FEDERAL STANDARD FMVSS 208 TO HAVE SEAT BELTS.AS A RESULT OF THIS INVESTIGATION, FREIGHTLINER WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL TO INSPECT ALL AFFECTED BUSES FOR SEAT BELT ?CHAFING? AND WILL REPLACEDAMAGED BELTS AS NEEDED. ALSO, THE SEAT BELT RETAINER STRIP WILL BE MODIFIED OR REPLACED TO PREVENT FUTURE CHAFING.FREIGHTLINER EXPANDED THE SCOPE OF THE RECALL (BEYOND THE ORIGINAL INVESTIGATION POPULATION) TO INCLUDE APPROXIMATELY 10,251 ADDITIONAL BUSES HAVING GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATINGS GREATER THAN 10,000 LBS.THEY DETERMINED THAT THESE BUSES ARE ALSO SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE CHAFING ACTION.THERE IS NO FEDERALREQUIREMENT FOR SEAT BELTS IN SCHOOL BUSES WEIGHING OVER 10,000 POUNDS.HOWEVER, SOME CUSTOMERS HAVE ORDERED SEAT BELTS AND SOME STATES HAVE REQUIREMENTS FOR SEAT BELTS.THEREFORE, FREIGHTLINER HAS AGREED TO ADDRESS THOSE BUSES EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NO APPLICABLE FEDERAL STANDARD.THE RECALL ACTION TAKEN BY FREIGHTLINER RESOLVES THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.

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