INTERNATIONAL Complaints

I HAVE A 2013 NAVISTAR PROSTAR THAT I'VE HAD TO TAKE INTO THE DEALER FOR VARIOUS REPAIRS. CURRENTLY, I HAVE EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH THE DIESEL EXHAUST ENTERING THE CAB THAT HAS CAUSED MY EYES TO BURN, A LACK OF STRENGTH AND OTHER HEALTH ISSUES THAT ACCORDING TO MY DOCTOR, I SHOULD NOT BE DRIVING UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS RESOLVED. THE DEALER HAS OFFERED LITTLE OR NO ASSISTANCE CLAIMING THEY WILL HAVE TO REMOVE THE CAB TO INSPECT THE EXHAUST. ALSO, I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL NOT SLOWING THE TRUCK DOWN WHEN GOING OVER A HILL. I HAVE TO TAP THE BRAKES IN ORDER DEACTIVATE THE SYSTEM AND THEN USE THE JAKES BRAKE AND REGULAR BRAKE TO SLOW THE TRUCK DONW.

THE INTERNATIONAL DT 466 SCHOOL BUS ENGINE SUDDENLY EXPERIENCED EXTREME PERFORMANCE DEGRADATION WITHOUT ANY WARNING WHILE DRIVING. THE ENGINE STARTED A POPPING NOISE AND SEVERELY LACKED POWER. WE PURCHASED 75 SCHOOL BUSES IN 2008, AND 26 PERCENT OF THEM HAD ROLLER TAPPET GUIDES FAIL BY FEBRUARY 2013. IN EVERY CASE, THIS FAILURE MODE RESULTED IN MAJOR DAMAGE TO ENGINE VALVE TRAIN COMPONENTS. TWO ENGINES OUT OF 26 TOTAL FAILURES TO DATE WERE NOT REPAIRABLE AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. THE CURRENT FAILURE HAS NOW GROWN TO 34 PERCENT. IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD TO SCHOOL CHILDREN AND OTHER VEHICLES WHEN A SCHOOL BUS ENGINE SUDDENLY EXPERIENCES SEVERE ENGINE DEGRADATION ON THE ROAD.

I WAS DRIVING ON I-70 JUST OUTSIDE OF BRECKENRIDGE COLORADO, AT APPROXIMATELY MILE MARKER 228, GOING UPHILL AT A SPEED OF 65 MPH. TRAFFIC WAS RATHER LIGHT AND I WAS BEHIND A CAR WITH ANOTHER PASSING ME ON THE LEFT SIDE, ON THIS 2-LANE PORTION OF THE INTERSTATE. WHEN INSTANTLY, THE TRUCK ACCELERATED FROM 65 TO 100 MPH WITHIN 5 SECONDS. THE JOLT THREW ME BACK INTO MY SEAT AND I HAD TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTIONS NOT TO HIT ANY OF THE CARS AROUND ME. MY BRAKES DID NOT RESPOND. I COULD NOT GET THE TRUCK OUT OF GEAR AND TURNING THE TRUCK OFF MADE NO DIFFERENCE. I HAD TO PASS BOTH CARS ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. THE TRUCK CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE IN EXCESS OF 120 MPH AND WITHIN 30 SECONDS, THE TRUCK LOST ALL POWER. BY THEN I WAS GOING DOWNHILL AND COASTED APPROXIMATEDLY 3/4 OF A MILE BEFORE PULLING OFF INTO A REST AREA. I CONTACTED MY DEALER, DIAMOND INTERNATIONAL, WHO INSTRUCTED ME TO REMOVE THE RUBBER TUBE BETWEEN THE TURBO AND THE CHARGED AIR COOLER AND INSPECT FOR ANY OIL. I FOUND OIL IN THE TUBE AND THEY INSTRUCTED ME NOT TO DRIVE THE TRUCK AND HAVE IT TOWED TO THE CLOSEST DEALER. THE TRUCK WAS TOWED TO MCCANDLESS TRUCK CENTER IN AURORA, CO., AND WAS DETERMINED THE TURBO HAD FAILED ALLOWING OIL TO PASS THROUGH INTO THE CHARGE AIR COOLER. . THE TECHNICAIN I TALKED WITH TOLD ME THE OIL ATOMIZES BEFORE ENTERING INTO THE ENGINE WHICH CAUSES AN IMEDIATE INCREASE IN SPEED AND ENGINE RPM HAD MAXED OUT TO 3,500 BEFORE IT SHUT DOWN WHICH LUCKILY CAUSED NO INTERNAL DAMAGE. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING A COMMERCIAL TRUCK FOR 30 YEARS WITH OVER 1 MILLION MILES AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCE AN ISSUE LIKE THIS. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE WAS INJURED.

THIS COMPLAINT IS AGAINST SPRADLIN MOBILE HOME SERVICE I'VE MADE SEVERAL CALLS AND THAT HAS LED TO THIS GORDON SPRADLIN OWNS AND OPERATES THREE COMMERCIAL TRUCKS A 1995 CAB OVER INTERNATIONAL SEMI IS THE TRUCK HE USES THE MOST HE ALSO USES A 1997 DAY CAB INTERNATIONAL TRUCK THESE TWO HE PULLS MOBILE HOMES WITH AND HAS A 1985 MACK DAY CAB TRUCK THE WHITE 97 INTERNATIONAL I BELIEVE DOESN'T HAVE SPLATES OR INSURANCE ON IT THE 85 MACH I KNOW DOESN'T HAVE PLATES OR INS ON IT THE TAGS ARE OUT OF DATE N THE LANDALL TRAILER HE PULLS BEHIND THE MACH THE TAGS ARE EXPERIENCED ON HE HAS SEVERAL SMALL TRAILERS SUCH AS UTILITY TYPE TRAILERS THAT DON'T HAVE PLATES ON NOR TO MY KNOWLEDGE SAFE FOR THE ROAD OR OTHERS ON THE ROAD I USED TO WORK FOR SPRADLIN AND WAS THE MECHANIC THESE TRUCKS HE HAS ARE NOT ROAD WORTHY AS WELL I HAVE LOOKED UP HIS DOT NUMBERS WHICH ARE 1394228 AND MC 593912 TO MY KNOWLEDGE WHEN I LOOKED THEM UP WHERE NO LONGER VALID N HAD NOT BEEN FOR SOME TIME I ALSO BELIEVE THAT HE DOESN'T HAVE PROPER INS FOR THE COMMERCIAL TRUCKS HE OPERATES IN IL AND MO PULLING MOBILE HOMES I HAVE MADE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS AND I DO KNOW FOR A FACT THAT HE GOES AROUND THE SCALES HERE IN PITTSFIELD AS WELL HE GETS TO GO BY THE SCALES WHEN EMPTY AND DOES NOT GO THRU HE IS LET GO BY ON HIGHWAY BECAUSE HIM AND [XXX] ARE GOOD FRIENDS AND DOES NOT GO THRU THE SCALES IN PITTSFIELD HE LIVE IS ON 205TH ST IN PITTSFIELD IL 1Q. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 INTERNATIONAL PROSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE BRAKES SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 402,211.

ON 19 JUNE 2012,, WE RECEIVED INFORMATION FROM OUR AMBULANCE MANAFACTURE SALES REPRESENATIVE ON A SAFETY CONCERN OF ANOTHER AMBULANCE SERVICE IN THE AREA THAT REPORTED A FAILURE OF THE BUSHINGS FOR THE TORQUE ARMS ON THEIR 2011 INTERNATIONAL NAVASTAR 4300, WHICH HAS LESS THAN 60,000 MILES. UPON RECEIVING THIS INFORMATION I IMMEDIATELY TOOK BOTH OF OUR 2011 INTERNATIONAL NAVISTAR 4400 AND HAD THEM INSPECTED AT THE INTERNATIONAL DEALERSHIP AND ONE OF OUR TWO 2011 INTERNATIONAL NAVISTAR 4400 WAS NOTED THAT THE LEFT REAR TORQUE ARM BUSHING HAD MOVED OUT AWAY FROM THE ARM AND WAS AGAINST THE FRAME OF THE TRUCK. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 INTERNATIONAL 4400 TRUCK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL SPORADICALLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE POSITIVE SIDE CABLE WIRE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER ALSO ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD LIKELY RECUR BECAUSE OF CORROSIVE FUMES THAT WERE EMITTED FROM THE BATTERY. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 110,118. UPDATED 10/11/12

THE DRIVER OF THIS SCHOOL BUS APPROACHED A STUDENTS DROP-OFF LOCATION AND ACTIVATED THE AMBER 8-WAYS. AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE DRIVER OPENED THE DOOR TO LET OFF THE STUDENTS. DUE TO A FAULTY DOOR SWITCH (INTERNATIONAL PART #2207601C1) THE RED FLASHING 8-WAY LIGHTS AS WELL AS THE STOP ARM FAILED TO ACTIVATE. THIS PROMPTED THE DRIVER OF ANOTHER VEHICLE TO GO PAST THE SCHOOL BUS WHILE IT WAS STOPPED AND THE STUDENTS WERE UNLOADING. LUCKILY, NO ONE WAS INJURED IN THIS INCIDENT. UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS SWITCH HAS FAILED. DELIVERY DATE OF THIS VEHICLE WAS AUG. 2007. THE ORIGINAL SWITCH WAS REPLACED ON FEB. 2008 AT 31,000 MILES. IT WAS ALSO REPLACED ON SEPT. 2010 AT 60,000 MILES, AND NOW IN APRIL, 2012 AT 92,000 MILES. WE HAVE 12 OTHER BUSES WITH THIS SAME SWITCH AND ALL OF THEM HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 INTERNATIONAL PROSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED UP TO 85 MPH. THE BRAKES WERE BEING DEPRESSED DURING THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS A BAD VALVE IN THE MOTOR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 314,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 317,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 INTERNATIONAL EAGLE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 68 MPH WHEN THE STEERING BECAME VERY LOOSE. THE CONTACT HAD DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING THE VEHICLE AND ONE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS AIRBORNE AS THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE PAVEMENT ON THE OTHER. THE POLICE WERE CONTACTED AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE WAIST AND HIPS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE STEERING BOX FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED NOR WAS THE MANUFACTURER CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 505,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.