Equipment adaptive/mobility
- Component
- Equipment adaptive/mobility
- Manufacturer
- STARTRANS BUS CORPORATION
- Vehicles affected
- 805
- Reported to NHTSA
- 2010-05-10
- Owners notified
- 2010-07-12
Defect description
STARTRANS BUS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007 THROUGH 2010 CANDIDATE, CANDIDATE II, SENATOR, SENATOR HD, PRESIDENT, TROLLEY, SENATOR II, AND SENTINAL TRANSIT BUSES MANUFACTURED FROM DECEMBER 2007 THROUGH DECEMBER 18, 2009 AND FITTED WITH RICON PUBLIC USE LIFTS. THE RESTRAINT BELT ON THESE LIFTS WAS DESIGNED TO PREVENT THE LIFT FROM MOVING, UNLESS THE TONGUE OF THE BELT IS FULLY ENGAGED AND LATCHED IN THE BUCKLE. RICON HAS DISCOVERED, HOWEVER, THAT IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE OPERATOR TO INSERT THE BELT TONGUE INTO THE BUCKLE WITHOUT FULLY ENGAGING THE LATCHING MECHANISM. IN THIS CASE, THE RESTRAINT BELT WOULD APPEAR TO BE LATCHED, AND THE OPERATOR COULD RUN THE LIFT. IF THE RESTRAINT BELT TONGUE IS NOT FULLY ENGAGED INTO THE RESTRAINT BELT BUCKLE, AND LATCHED, THE LIFT MAY OPERATE WITH AN OCCUPANT ON THE PLATFORM.
Safety risk
THE USER OF THE LIFT COULD BE INJURED SHOULD THE LIFT MOVE WITHOUT THE RESTRAINT BELT PROPERLY BUCKLED.
Manufacturer remedy
STARTRANS BUS IS WORKING WITH RICON AND RICON WILL BE PERFORMING THE REMEDY FOR THIS CAMPAIGN. PLEASE SEE RICON'S DEFECT REPORT 09E-060. RICON WILL PROVIDE CUSTOMERS WITH A WARNING DECAL AND A DVD-BASED TRAINING AID. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 12, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT RICON AT 1-818-267-3000 OR STARTRANS BUS AT 1-574-642-0811.