IC BUS Complaints

I HAVE A SERIES OF 2008 CONVENTIONAL IC SCHOOL BUSES (21 BUSES) THAT WERE PURCHASED NEW IN JULY 2008. SINCE THE BEG. OF THE SCH. YR, (AUG. 20TH) WE HAVE HAD 5 ENTRANCE (EMERGENCY) DOORS SHEAR OFF AT THE TOP OF THE DOOR AND FALL OUTWARD, BEING HELD SOLELY BY THE BOTTOM PIN. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. IF THE BOTTOM PIN WERE TO GIVE WAY ALSO...THE DOOR WOULD FALL ON THE CHILDREN THAT ARE LOADING OR UNLOADING. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THESE DOORS ARE DEFECTIVE AND THAT THERE IS NO PLAN TO RECALL. NO ONE KILLED OR INJURED...YET SO THE DEALER SAYS THAT THEY ARE JUST REPLACING THEM AS THEY BREAK OFF. IS THERE ANYTHING IN THE WORKS TO RECALL THESE BUSES BEFORE ONE OF THESE DOORS FALLS ONTO A SMALL CHILD? I HAVE SUBMITTED THE INFO. FOR THE FIRST VEHICLE HAD THE PROBLEM. IF NEED BE I WILL SUBMIT FOR THE OTHER 4 VEHICLES. *TR

REFLECTIONS OFF THE A-PILLAR SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, AS A SCHOOL BUS DRIVER, I EXPERIENCED A DISTURBING SITUATION WHILE DRIVING ONE OF THE NEW INTERNATIONAL RE TRANSIT SCHOOL BUSES. I COULD NOT SEE A SHADOWED AREA ALONG THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BUS WELL ENOUGH TO KNOW IF A BICYCLIST [OR PEDESTRIAN] MIGHT HAVE MOVED INTO THE AREA. THIS OCCURRED AROUND 1:50PM ON A SUNNY DAY AS I WAS STOPPED ON A SIDE STREET [HALCYON ST. FACING WEST] AND WAITING/WATCHING FOR THE 'GAP' IN NORTHBOUND 1ST AVE. TRAFFIC TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN. I WAS ALSO TENDING TO SOME OF THE UNRULY ELEMENTARY STUDENTS ON-BOARD THE BUS VIA THE INSIDE MIRROR. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THE MOMENT CAME TO START THE RIGHT TURN. MY SCAN AND CHECK RIGHT INTO THE LOWER CONVEX MIRROR [AND THE LOWER SECTION OF THE UPPER FLAT MIRROR] WAS THWARTED BY A DOWN-ANGLED WHITE REFLECTED STRIP ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE RIGHT WINDSHIELD. I TRIED TO REPOSITION MYSELF IN THE SEAT TO LOOK AROUND IT BUT TO NO AVAIL. AFTER A FEW FRUSTRATING MOMENTS [AND MISSING MY GAP], I REALIZED I WOULD HAVE TO MAKE THIS TURN WITHOUT FULL ASSURANCE THAT SOMEONE WASN'T IN THE BUS SHADOWED AREA ON MY RIGHT DUE TO THIS REFLECTION. EVER SINCE THEN I HAVE BEEN MONITORING WHEN THIS WHITE REFLECTION OCCURS AND VERY AWARE TO ANTICIPATE AND TRACK WHO MIGHT ENTER AND RESIDE IN THIS TEMPORARY 'BLIND SPOT' DESPITE MY ATTENTION TO THE MAINSTREAM TRAFFIC AND STUDENTS. THIS OCCURRED THE FIRST AFTERNOON I DROVE THE NEW INTERNATIONAL BUS [B168] ON THE ROUTE. UP TO THAT TIME, I HAD BEEN DRIVING THE OLD BLUEBIRD BUS5 WITH NO PROBLEM VIEWING THE RIGHT-SIDE SHADOW AREA AND KNOWING WHAT WAS THERE. THIS WHITE VEILING REFLECTION COMES FROM THE SUNLIGHT FROM THE FRONT-LEFT SIDE OF BUS AND HITS THE RIGHT-SIDE INNER A-PILLAR [STRUCTURAL POST] THAT IS FLAT AND PAINTED WHITE. THIS WHITE IS THEN REFLECTED ONTO THE FRONT RIGHT-SIDE WINDSHIELD AT AN ANGLE THAT CUTS ACROSS THE DRIVER'S LINE OF SIGHT TO THE RIGHT SIDE MIRRORS, WITH THE LOWER CONVEX MIRROR BEING MOST AFFECTED. *TR

2007 INTERNATIONAL CE SCHOOL BUS #19: MERITOR/WABCO BRAKE SYSTEMS. THE DRIVER OF THIS BUS WAS APPROACHING A STOP SIGN. ACCORDING TO THE DRIVER'S ESTIMATES, HE WAS GOING 15 MPH WHEN THE BRAKES SUDDENLY LOCKED UP TIGHT. THE DRIVER THEN CALLED IN STATING THE BRAKES WERE LOCKED UP AND THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO RELEASE THE PARKING BRAKE. THE FIRST THING WE DID WAS TRANSFER THOSE KIDS ONTO ANOTHER BUS THAT HAPPENED TO BE DRIVING BY. ASSUMING THIS WAS THE SAME PROBLEM THE OTHER CE BUSSES HAVE HAD WITH THE PARKING BRAKES, WE WENT OUT AND CUT THE SHORT CABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE BUSY INTERSECTION. I CUT THE CABLE WHILE MY ASSISTANT MECHANIC JUMPED IN THE BUS TO PULL IT AWAY. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PULL AWAY, HE WAS ABOUT HALFWAY INTO THE INTERSECTION WHEN THE BRAKES AGAIN LOCKED UP WITHOUT HIM TOUCHING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE SHORT CABLE WAS CUT, SO THIS MEANT THE SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM WAS CAUSING THIS TO HAPPEN. WE SLOWLY DROVE THE BUS ABOUT 500 FEET TO GET IT OFF THE ROAD AND PARKED IT. IN THAT 500 OR SO FEET, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP 5-6 MORE TIMES. I CALLED UP A TOW TRUCK COMPANY AND HAD THEM HAUL IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. TO MAKE A VERY LONG STORY SHORT, MERITOR SAID THE LACK OF A TROUBLE CODE IN THE SERVICE BRAKE OR PARK BRAKE SYSTEM INDICATES THAT THE PROBLEM WAS PROBABLY (THEY'RE NOT SURE) DUE TO A CORRODED TONE RING ON A REAR ROTOR. DUE TO THE CORROSION, THE COMPUTER DID NOT PICK UP A WHEEL SPEED READING. THIS ACTIVATED THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM WHICH APPLIED BRAKE PRESSURE TO THE OPPOSITE WHEEL (WHICH IS WHAT LOCKED UP THE BRAKES) IN AN ATTEMPT TO APPLY TORQUE TO THE WHEEL THAT WASN'T GETTING A WHEEL SPEED READING. THEIR SUGGESTION WAS TO REPLACE THE ROTORS (AT MY COST) TO THE PERFORMANCE FRICTION BRAND WITH THE ANTI-CORROSION TONE RING. WE HAVE DEALT WITH CORRODED ROTORS BEFORE. IT'S A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. THE QUESTION IS, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE NEXT BUS WHEN THE BRAKES APPLY UNEXPECTEDLY WITH VEHICLES BEHIND IT? *TR

I AM THE SHOP MANAGER FOR A PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT IN ILLINOIS. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF 2006 AND 2007 INTERNATIONAL CE200 71 PASSENGER SCHOOL BUSES. THERE IS 2 ISSUES WE HAVE HAD REPEATED FAILURES WITH CONCERNING THE BRAKING SYSTEM. *TR #1: ABS BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE CAUSED BY EXCESSIVE DETERIORATION/RUST IN THE BRAKE ROTOR TONER RINGS. SEVERAL OF THESE ROTORS WERE REPLACED UNDER THE OE WARRANTY WITH THE UNITS A YEAR OR LESS OLD. THE OE REPLACEMENTS ARE NO BETTER-REPEAT FAILURES. THERE IS AT LEAST ONE COMPANY MANUFACTURING AN IMPROVED DESIGN ROTOR THAT I AM OF THE OPINION WILL GREATLY IMPROVE THE RATE OF FAILURE. DISCUSSION WITH OUR BUS DEALER INTIMATES THAT THE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATIONS STAND ON THIS ISSUE IS THAT IT IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM THAT THESE ROTORS RUST AND DETERIORATE THIS QUICKLY BECAUSE IT IS CAUSED BY THE ELEMENTS. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THESE FAILURES ARE EXTREMELY PREMATURE, THERE SEEMS TO BE A "FIX" AVAILABLE, AND THAT IC SHOULD BE RECALLING THESE UNITS. #2: PARK BRAKE SYSTEM PROBLEM DUE TO REPEATED FAILURES OF AN ELECTRIC COIL THAT CONTROLS A HYDRAULIC CIRCUIT THAT KEEPS THE BRAKE FROM BEING APPLIED WHEN ACTIVATED. THIS FAILURE CAN AND HAS CAUSED THE PARK BRAKE TO APPLY WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED ON A NUMBER OF OUR UNITS REPEATEDLY. THERE HAS BEEN 3 FAILURES ON ONE IN PARTICULAR, A 2007 MODEL WITH 28000 MILES PRESENTLY. *TR

RE: 2007 TOYOTA TUNDRA THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN LOCKING UP FOR NO APPARENT REASON WHILE I WAS DRIVING TO WORK WITH MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BRAKES LOCKED. TO REGAIN CONTROL I HAD TO THROW THE TRUCK IN TO PARK. *AK