1998 Girardin MB IV

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: COMMERCIAL AND SCHOOL BUS BODY MINIBUSES. THE INNER BODY PANEL COULD CONTACT AND DAMAGE THE WIRING HARNESS BY THE DRIVER'S SEAT. IF THE WIRES ARE DAMAGED, AND A CONTACT BETWEEN THOSE WIRES OCCURS, THE AIR BAG COULD INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY.

Risk. UNEXPECTED AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT CAN RESULT IN OCCUPANT INJURY.

Remedy. OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS AND WILL BE REIMBURSED FOR LABOR COSTS INVOLVED. OWNER NOTIFICATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING MAY 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT GIRARDIN AT 1-819-477-8222.

THE FENDERS ON THE KENDON MOTORCYCLE TRAILER IN QUESTION WERE OBSERVED TO VIBRATE SIGNIFICANTLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. NEW BALANCED TIRES MADE NO CHANGE IN THE VIBRATION. THE FIRST FAILURE IN THE TRAILER FENDER WAS OBSERVATION OF SUBSTANTIAL CRACKING OF THE STEEL MOUNTING BRACKETS ATTACHING THE FENDER. THE SECOND FAILURE, HOWEVER, CAME WITHOUT WARNING, OTHER THAN THE OBSERVED VIBRATION, THE FENDER TOTALLY SEPERATED FROM THE TRAILER ON THE EXPRESSWAY. A NEW FENDER WAS PURCHASED FROM THE MANUFACTURER AND IT WAS NOTED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD MODIFIED THE DESIGN OF THE NEW FENDER WITH SLOTS CUT AT TWO POINTS ON THE STEEL MOUNTING BRACKETS TO RELIEVE VIBRATION STRESS. THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE KENDON "STAND-UP TRAILERS OPERATIONS MANUAL" PROVIDE NO WARNING OF THIS TYPE OF FAILURE. THE MANUAL DOES, HOWEVER, SUGGEST A PROCEDURE TO TIE DOWN THE MOTORCYCLE, WHICH, IF CAREFULLY FOLLOWED, DOES SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE THE VIBRATION. THE MANUFACTUER SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO RECALL AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE FENDERS AND PLACE A PERMANENT PLACARD ON EACH FENDER TO INSTRUCT ON THE CORRECT TIE-DOWN PROCEDURE AND THE POTENTIAL FAILURE THAT WILL RESULT IF THE PROCEDURE IS NOT FOLLOWED. IMPORTANT NOTE: YOUR SYSTEM DOES NOT LIST IN ITS DROP DOWN MENU THE KENDON TRAILER COMPANY HTTP://WWW.KENDONUSA.COM THEREFORE, SO THE FORM WOULD PROCESS, I SELECTED ANOTHER MANUFACTUERER WHICH YOU NEED TO MANUALLY CHANGE TO KENDON.