Other: school bus stop arm assembly
- Component
- Other: school bus stop arm assembly
- Manufacturer
- INTERNATIONAL TRUCK & ENGINE CORPORATION
- Vehicles affected
- 18,071
- Reported to NHTSA
- 2005-07-20
- Owners notified
- 2005-09-16
Defect description
CERTAIN IC MY 2002 THROUGH 2004 3800; 2002 THROUGH 2006 CESB, FESB, AND RESB; AND 2006 AND 2007 BESB SCHOOL BUSES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING STATES: ALASKA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW MEXICO, NEW YORK, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, OREGON, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH DAKOTA, TENNESSEE, UTAH, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, WYOMING, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IN EXTREMELY COLD WEATHER, THE MICROSWITCHES USED INTERNALLY TO POSITION THE STOP ARM SIGN IN THE OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS MAY MALFUNCTION, CAUSING THE SIGN TO OPEN OR CLOSE IN AN IMPROPER POSITION, OR TO NOT OPEN AT ALL.
Safety risk
SHOULD THE STOP ARM NOT PERFORM PROPERLY, A CHILD OR PEDESTRIAN MAY BE ENDANGERED BY PASSING VEHICLES SHOULD THE MOTORIST NOT STOP AT THE CORRECT LOCATION.
Manufacturer remedy
INTERNATIONAL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE ORIGINAL SWITCH WITH A SWITCH PACK THAT IS NOT SENSITIVE TO EXTREME COLD WEATHER AND WILL INSPECT TO ENSURE THE MICROSWITCH HEATER WIRING IS PROPERLY CONNECTED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT INTERNATIONAL AT 1-800-448-7825.