1998 Mci 102A3
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Have the VIN?
These records cover every 1998 Mci 102A3. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
2 recalls name the 1998 Mci 102A3. Newest first.
Vehicle description: transit coaches. the tie rod ball joint cotter pin and nut may be missing or the nut may be loose.
Risk and remedy
Risk
The tie rod ball joint could separate increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the ball joint torque and retighten any loose parts or replace any missing parts.
Vehicle description: transit coaches equipped with wheel chair lifts. an instruction label identifying the location of the emergency exit was omitted from the wheel chair seating position located on the curb side of the vehicle. this does not comply with requirements of fmvss no. 217, "bus window retention and release."
Risk and remedy
Risk
In the event of a vehicle crash or other emergency, passengers located in this seating position will not have the information to find proper access to the emergency exit.
Remedy
Owners will be provided with a label and installation instructions.
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- MCI Drive Shaft Safety Loop Failures
In the fall of 2011, network contacts made ODI aware of four (4) incidents of drive shaft failure on the subject buses involving a loss of vehicle control.Two of the incidents were relatively low speed non-crash events; and two resulted in motor coach rollovers.All four events showed signs of a common failure mode.The…
In the fall of 2011, network contacts made ODI aware of four (4) incidents of drive shaft failure on the subject buses involving a loss of vehicle control.Two of the incidents were relatively low speed non-crash events; and two resulted in motor coach rollovers.All four events showed signs of a common failure mode.The incidents and crashes studied during this investigation all resulted from a series of complex events that began with the the yoke journal ears on the drive shafts fracturing.Once the drive shaft failed. it was not adequately contained by a drive shaft safety loop or structure.The spinning and unrestrained drive shaft caused severe damage to components on the steerable tag axle at the rear of the vehicle and created a forced steering condition.Once the rear of the bus was being forcibly steered by the tag axle, the driver lost control of the vehicle.These conclusions are based on the forensics evidence and testing conducted by the Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC).The VRTC test report is attached to this closing resume that provides details on how the test center was able to conclusively identify the defective components on the buses and demonstrate the sequence of events that caused the buses to crash.Prior to the drive shaft failure events, there were no indications of improper maintenance or that maintenance was required that would have prevented the incidents.Additionally, the U-joints on the incident vehicles were found to be in good working condition at the time of the failure. Finally, records of driver interviews indicated a sudden onset of the failure with no warning.Following the VRTC testing, MCI issued recall 14V-335 involving certain model year 1993-1995 102DL3 motor coaches manufactured November 1992 to January 1995, and 2006 and 2008 D4505 motor coaches manufactured June 2005 to April 2008.The affected buses are equipped with a drive shaft with a compressed length of 30 inches or less (allowing it to escape containment if it fails), a steerable trailing tag axle equipped with a system that changes the axle caster when the vehicle is in reverse travel and no electronic stability control (ESC).Recall 14V-335 addresses the concerns of this investigation.The ODI report cited above can be viewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID: ODI Number 10447575.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10038824Motor coach indudstries: information on replacing the coolant pump that may have a problem.
- 10038195Motor coach industries service campaign: see document search button for owner letter. There may be a harsh downshift, rpm flare, or the transmission may lock.
Every Mci 102A3 model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.