RoadVitals

1998 Velvet-Ride Rear Suspension System

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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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 1998 Velvet-Ride Rear Suspension System. 1 NHTSA investigation names it.

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

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Safety investigations

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

EA03006ClosedEngineering Analysis

REAR SUSPENSION SEPARATION/FAILURE

Opened Apr 29, 2003
Closed Jan 23, 2004

THIS INVESTIGATION FOCUSED ON FAILURES OF VELVET-RIDE REAR SUSPENSION SYSTEMS.THE VELVET- RIDE SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED IN 1998 - 2002 INTERNATIONAL 4700LP TRUCKS WITH AMBULANCE BODIES.THEY USED A UNIQUE METHOD OF INSTALLATION, THAT BEING FLANGE HEAD BOLTS, WHEREAS ALL OTHER VELVET-RIDE SUSPENSION SYSTEM MODELS USED EITHER U-BOLTS OR STUDS WITH NUTS.WHEN THE FLANGE BOLTS FAILED, THE REAR AXLE WOULD SOMETIMES EJECT FROM THE VEHICLE.POSSIBLE REASONS FOR THE FAILURES WERE CORROSION OF THE BOLTS AND EXCESSIVE LOADING OF THE SUSPENSION BY AN AFTER MARKET SYSTEM USED TO PULL DOWN THE BODY TO FACILITATE LOADING PATIENTS INTO THE AMBULANCE. ALL TRUCKS WILL BE RETRO-FITED WITH AN AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM OF A PROVEN DESIGN.INSTALLATION OF THE NEW SUSPENSION IS BEING COORDINATED WITH INTERNATIONAL TRUCK, THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER.INTERNATIONAL'S DEALER NETWORK WILL PERFORM THE INSTALLATION.THE VELVET-RIDE SUSPENSION PRODUCT LINE WAS SOLD TO LORD CORPORATION IN 2001.LORD HAS NOT SOLD THIS MODEL FOR ANY NEW INSTALLATIONS SINCE IT ACQUIRED THE PRODUCT LINE. THE EA WAS ORIGINALLY OPENED ON LORD CORPORATION SINCE AT THAT TIME, ODI BELIEVED LORD WAS THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER.

SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY:U-BOLT, LEAF SPRING TO AXLELed to recall 03E060000

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.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Velvet-Ride Rear Suspension System by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2002002—
2001002—
2000102—
1999002—
1998Viewing001—
1997001—

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.