Equipment adaptive/mobilityRecall 14V-728 · Ameritrans vehicles
Ameritrans Bus, Inc. recall 14V-728 covers 26 Ameritrans vehicles for a equipment adaptive/mobility problem, reported to NHTSA on November 13, 2014.
Source: NHTSA recall 14V728000 and manufacturer quarterly reports. Started by an NHTSA defect investigation.
The problem
Ameritrans Bus, Inc. (Ameritrans) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Ford E Series shuttle buses built on E150, E250, E350, and E450, and Freightliner M2 Series shuttle buses manufactured August 1, 2012, to July 10, 2014, equipped with certain model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505, and S5510 wheelchair lifts manufactured by Ricon Corporation. The platform side plate of the affected wheelchair lifts may crack.
The risk
If the platform side plates crack, the lift platform can separate from the lift and come to rest against the vehicle's lift door. When the doors are opened, the platform may fall out, increasing the risk of injury to the lift operator.
The fix
Ameritrans will notify owners to take the shuttle buses to a Ricon dealer or service center who will install supplemental platform support bumpers. Any platform that has already started cracking will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on January 5, 2015. Owners may contact Ameritrans customer service at 1-574-262-8935 or Ricon customer service at 1-800-322-2884.
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Recall repairs are free. Confirm whether this recall is open on your vehicle by entering its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Vehicles in this recall
Built from August 1, 2012 to July 10, 2014. Not every vehicle in these model years is included; check by VIN.
The investigation behind this recall
- Wheelchair Lift Platform CrackingNHTSA