Owners filed 1 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the suspension › front › control arm › lower ball joint. It has been recalled 4 times.
What fails
Component
Reports
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Lower Ball Joint
1
0
0
0
4 safety recalls
Part 573 reports
Equipment10V645000
Filed Dec 27, 201026 vehiclesCorp. Micro Bird, Inc.
Defect. CORP. MICRO BIRD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1999 THROUGH 2002 GIRARDIN MB IV TRANSIT BUSES BUILT ON FORD AND GM CUTAWAY CHASSIS FROM AUGUST 2, 1999, THROUGH MAY 8, 2002, AND EQUIPPED WITH A TRANS/AIR TA73 EVAPORATOR. THE EVAPORATOR UTILIZES A POWER RESISTOR TO REGULATE BLOWER SPEED. SHOULD A SHORT OCCUR IN THE "LOW OR MEDIUM SPEED" CIRCUIT WHILE THE BLOWER IS IN HIGH SPEED, THE SHORT WILL CAUSE THE SUPPLY VOLTAGE TO FEEDBACK THROUGH THE RESISTOR TO GROUND, NOT DRAWING ENOUGH CURRENT TO TRIP THE FUSE.
Risk. THIS WOULD CAUSE THE RESISTOR TEMPERATURE TO RISE TO A POINT WHERE IT WILL MELT AND POSSIBLY IGNITE THE PLASTIC BLOWER HOUSING TO WHICH IT IS MOUNTED. THE OVERHEATING CAN RESULT IN A FIRE.
Remedy. CORP. MICRO BIRD IN COOPERATION WITH TRANS/AIR WILL INSTALL A THERMAL SHUTDOWN DEVICE IN SERIES WITH THE SPEED RESISTORS. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 11, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TRANS/AIR WARRANTY AND SERVICE CENTER AT 1-800-673-2446.
Equipment10V637000
Filed Dec 21, 201030 vehiclesCorp. Micro Bird, Inc.
Defect. CORP. MICRO BIRD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1999 THROUGH 2001 GIRARDIN MB II AND MB IV SCHOOL BUSES BUILT ON FORD AND GM CUTAWAY CHASSIS FROM AUGUST 2, 1999, THROUGH MAY 31, 2001, AND EQUIPPED WITH A TRANS/AIR TA73 EVAPORATOR. THE EVAPORATOR UTILIZES A POWER RESISTOR TO REGULATE BLOWER SPEED. SHOULD A SHORT OCCUR IN THE "LOW OR MEDIUM SPEED" CIRCUIT WHILE THE BLOWER IS IN HIGH SPEED, THE SHORT WILL CAUSE THE SUPPLY VOLTAGE TO FEEDBACK THROUGH THE RESISTOR TO GROUND, NOT DRAWING ENOUGH CURRENT TO TRIP THE FUSE.
Risk. THIS WOULD CAUSE THE RESISTOR TEMPERATURE TO RISE TO A POINT WHERE IT WILL MELT AND POSSIBLY IGNITE THE PLASTIC BLOWER HOUSING TO WHICH IT IS MOUNTED. THE OVERHEATING CAN RESULT IN A FIRE.
Remedy. CORP. MICRO BIRD IN COOPERATION WITH TRANS/AIR WILL INSTALL A THERMAL SHUTDOWN DEVICE IN SERIES WITH THE SPEED RESISTORS. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 11, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TRANS/AIR WARRANTY AND SERVICE CENTER AT 1-800-673-2446.
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility04V433000
Filed Sep 7, 200435 vehiclesGirardin Minibus Inc.
Defect. CERTAIN MBII AND MBIV SCHOOL AND COMMERCIAL BUSES BUILT ON FORD E-350 & E-450, GM 3500 CHASSIS, MANUFACTURED BETWEEN JUNE 1, 1999, AND DECEMBER 31, 2003, AND EQUIPPED WITH SURE-LOK WHEELCHAIR TIE-DOWN SECUREMENT ASSEMBLIES P/N 8625-13. THE SPROCKET TEETH OF THE RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY MAY BE OUT OF ALIGNMENT CAUSING THE LOAD PAWL NOT TO FULLY SEAT IN THE SPROCKET TEETH.
Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE WHEELCHAIR MAY NOT BE ADEQUATELY SECURED POSSIBLY RESULTING IN INJURIES.
Remedy. SURE-LOK WILL NOTIFY GIRARDIN'S CUSTOMERS AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PART FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN AUGUST 16, 2004. 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 SURE-LOK AT 1-908-231-1804.
Air Bags › Frontal01V118000
Filed Apr 24, 2001995 vehiclesA. Girardin Inc.
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.
What owners reported
Newest filings
Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Lower Ball Joint
Filed Feb 3, 20055,000 milesMA
HAVE OWNED A 1999 DODGE DAKOTA V8 318CI 4X4 EXTRA CAB SINCE BRAND NEW AND HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE FRONT BALL JOINTS. LESS THEN A YEAR OLD FRONT TIRES WEARING OUT ON THE INSIDES AND WHEN A WENT TO GET AN INSPECTION STICKER THEY SAID THE BALL JOINTS WHERE OUT OF SPEC AND SHOWED ME HOW THEY WHERE VERY SLOPPY BUT THEY MADE A FEW PHONE CALLS AND SAID THAT THESE DODGE DAKOTAS AND DURANGOS HAD DESIGN FLAWS WITH THE BALL JOINTS AND GAVE ME A STICKER. THE DEALER I GOT THE TRUCK FROM REPLACED THE PASSENGER SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM. BUT IT JUST GOT SLOPPY AGAIN IN A FEW MONTHS. HAVE JUST KEPT REPLACING TIRES AND ASKED SEVERAL DEALERS ABOUT THIS AND THEY SAID THAT'S THE WAY THEY SHOULD BE AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THEM. THIS TRUCK IS USED MOSTLY ON THE HIGHWAY FOR MY 80MILE DAILY COMMUTE TO WORK. I HEARD ABOUT THE RECALL BUT IT DOESN'T COVER THE 99 MODEL YEAR. DURING MY DRIVE TO WORK ON ROUTE 3 AND ROUTE 495 SOUTH THE FRONT WHEELS WANDER ALL OVER THE ROAD. LOOKING AT THEM TODAY THE FRONT TIRES (BOTH) ARE ONLY WORN ON THE INSIDE THE REST OF THE TIRE LOOKS LIKE IT'S BRAND NEW. *JB
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.
Most recent recall on file: Dec 27, 2010. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.