NHTSA recall 06V368000
Structure › Body › Door
Champion Contender
The defect
On certain buses equipped with vapor bus connecting rods, when the connecting rod IS subjected to certain load combinations and cumulative cycling, initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks are seen at the external thread roots. if the crack initiates and propagates through the cross section of the connecting rod, it may result in the bending or the connecting rod assembly and malfunction of the door actuation assembly.
The risk
If the crack propagates through the entire cross section of the connecting rod, the connecting rod may break and the associated door panel may be able to move freely in an uncontrolled manner, leaving passengers inside the bus unprotected by the door panel and possibly enabling a protruding door panel to strike persons or objects outside the bus.
The remedy
Vapor bus IS conducting this recall (please see 05e-030). all buses involved in this recall have been repaired.