In a news release Thursday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that New Flyer Industries LTD is recalling certain transit bus models due to a vehicle fire hazard.
Subject to recall are 78 model year 2010 heavy duty transit buses. The recall stems from an issue with the engine cooling system. A T-bolt in the V-clamp assembly, which connects the inlet and outlet cone sections to the diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC)/diesel particulate filter (DPF), has the potential to fail under stress or load. If the T-bolt fractures or fails, the clamp could loosen, causing the inlet or outlet sections to disconnect from the DOC/DPF housing. The disconnection could lead to hot exhaust gasses venting prior to exiting the vehicle’s tailpipe, posing the risk of combustion and fire. Additionally, if both clamps fail, in some cases, the DOC/DPF housing may completely detach, which could cause a road hazard.
New Flyer and Cummins are working to identify and notify customers affected by the recall, which is expected to begin in this month. Affected customers will be able to have their vehicles repaired free of charge by an authorized Cummins dealer.
As a Los Angeles bus accident lawyer, driver and passenger safety is something that I am very aware of; I encourage customers affected by the transit bus recall to arrange for the needed repairs as soon as possible. Because of my experience as a product defect lawyer, I know that the effects of a faulty engine part can range from inconvenience and frustration to injury and sometimes death. I hope that no one has been harmed as a result of the defective engine cooling component.