INTERNATIONAL Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ECM WAS MOUNTED ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE COMPUTER UNIT CORRODED DUE TO EXPOSURE TO DIRT , WATER, AND ROAD SALT. THIS CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO DOWNSHIFT AT 50 MPH. THE CORROSION ALSO CAUSED LOSS OF VEHICLE POWER, CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO RUN ROUGH ALONG WITH OTHER ISSUES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE A NEW ECM WAS INSTALLED INSIDE THE CAB OF THE VEHICLE BEHIND THE PASSENGER SEAT. UPDATED 9/18/2006 - *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER OF ONE OF THE SEMI TRACTOR TRAILERS WAS TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH WHEN THE GENERATOR ON THE TRUCK FELL OFF WITHOUT WARNING. ANOTHER VEHICLE PULLED UP BESIDE THE TRUCK AND ALERTED THE DRIVER THE GENERATOR HAD FALLEN OFF. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE CAST ALUMINUM CLAMP HOLDING THE GENERATOR FRACTURED CAUSING THE GENERATOR TO FALL OFF. THE GENERATOR WEIGHS 500 LBS. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE OWNER OF THE TRUCK THAT THE CLAMPS NEEDED TO BE MADE OF STEEL INSTEAD OF CAST ALUMINUM AND REPLACED THE CLAMP WITH ONE MADE OF STEEL. THE OWNER OF THE TRUCK STATES ALL OF THE TRUCKS HAVE CAST ALUMINUM CLAMPS ON THEM.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AFTER SHUTTING THE VEHICLE DOWN, THE BOTTOM LINER O-RING PROPELLED THROUGH THE NUMBER 4 CYLINDER. THE RADIATOR FLUID DRAINED INTO THE OIL WHICH RESULTED IN THE ENGINE SEIZURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THE ENGINE WAS OVER HAULED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. UPDATED05/16/06. *JB

2003 INTERNATIONAL 99001 IS HAS HAD OVER $7,000 IN REPAIRS. *TS ***NO ANSWER REQUIRED*** THESE REPAIRS FAILED TO FIX THE PROBLEMS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPAIRED PRIOR TO DELIVERY. *NM

WE HAVE A SCHOOL BUS THAT HAS HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED FOUR TIMES SO FAR AND HAS HAD 8 NEW INJECTORS PUT IN IT AND IT STILL DOESN'T RUN PROPERLY. THE SAFETY ISSUE IS IT WILL NOT MOVE WHEN COMING FROM A STOP AND WHEN IT FINALLY MOVES, IT IS SLOW. DOES NOT BUILD UP SPEED QUICKLY. IT IS BACK IN THE SHOP AND THEY CANNOT SEEM TO FIGURE IT OUT. THE FIRST TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT WAS PUT IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF OWNING THE VEHICLE, ONE IN OCT. 2003, ONE IN OCT. 2004 AND ONE IN JUNE 2005. THE VEHICLE HAS 102,000 MILES ON IT AND REALLY SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 8 INJECTORS WITHIN THAT AMOUNT OF MILES. THE BUS HAS BEEN DOWN MORE THAN IT HAS BEEN ON THE ROAD THIS SCHOOL YEAR.*JB

PREMATURE AND EXCESSIVE BRAKE WEAR ON 2005 4300 INTERNATIONAL TRUCKS, AS WELL AS 203 AND 2004, TO FRONT PASSENGER SIDE ONLY. SEVEN OUT OF NINE INTERNATIONAL TRUCKS SHOWED THIS PATTERN. THREE OUT OF FOUR 2005 INTERNATIONAL TRUCKS HAD CRITICAL PAD WEAR ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE ONLY, RESULTING IN LITTLE OR NO REMAINING PAD LEFT WHILE ALL OTHER BRAKING POINTS HAD EXTENDED LIFE REMAINING. LOCAL INTERNATIONAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT MAINTAINED THAT CONDITION WAS CRITICAL WITH BRAKING SYSTEM COMMING APART.THIS OCCURRED ON A 2005 INTERNATIONAL WITH JUST 46,000 ROAD MILES. *AK

2003 INTERNATIONAL 99001 BRAKES WERE THIN, FOUR OF THE EIGHT DRIVE AXLE TIRES WERE IN POOR CONDITION AND THE FRONT TIRE WERE QUESTIONABLE. THEY LOOKED AS IF THEY WERE MOVED FROM ANOTHER VEHICLE AND PUT ON THIS ONE. *** NO ANSWER REQUIRED*** * TS THE DAY THAT THE CONSUMER TOOK DELIVERY OF THE TRUCK HE NOTICED THAT IT WAS SHAKING WHILE BEING DRIVEN AN SEEMED TO PULL TO THE RIGHT. THE CONSUMER COULDN'T DRIVE FASTER THAN 60 MPH. THE WINDSHIELD THAT WAS REPLACED LEAKED WHILE IT WAS RAINING. THE HEATING ELEMENT ALSO DIDN'T WORK DUE TO A BROKEN HEATER COWLING. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY A TECHNICIAN THAT THE FRONT TIRE WERE OUT OF ROUND THEREFORE THEY COULD NOT BE BALANCED AND THE TREAD WAS TOO THIN. MOST OF THE GREASE ZIRKS ON THE FRONT END WERE BROKEN OFF OR CLOGGED. THE VEHICLE HAD A BAD EXHAUST LEAK. THE PIPE HAD A 10-INCH SPLIT AT THE SEAM. THE BRAKES WERE GRABBING DUE TO BAD DRUMS. THREE OF THE SIX DRUMS WERE BADLY GROOVED. THE CLUTCH WAS DAMAGED. THE TRUCK HAD A BROKEN MOTOR MOUNT. THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE SERVICED DUE TO WATER CONTAMINATION AND THE CLUTCH BRAKE AND THROW OUT BEARING HAD FAILED. THE FENDER SUPPORTS WERE BROKEN ON THE HOOD. THE OIL COOLER WAS BADLY CORRODED AND THERE WAS NO ANTI-CORROSION IN THE ANTIFREEZE. THE RADIATOR HOSE BLEW DUE TO AN OIL CONTAMINATION FROM THE COOLER SOFTENING ALL THE RUBBER HOSES. THREE OF THE TIRE REPLACED BY PRICE INTERNATIONAL BLEWOUT. THE LAST TIRE HAD A LARGE DEEP CUT, ON THE INSIDE, HALFWAY AROUND THE SIDEWALL. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THREE OF THE FOUR OTHER TIRE REPLACED WERE BAD. ONE HAD A TREAD BELT AND ONE HAD THREE LARGE PLUGS THE SIZE OF QUARTERS IN IT. A TOTAL OF SEVEN OF EIGHT TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THE DEALER MISREPRESENTED THE CONDITION OF THE VEHICLE THEREFORE HE REQUEST TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE COST OF THE VEHICLE AND ANY OUT OF POCKET REPAIR COST. *NM

DT: MR. BROOKS WORKS FOR A SCHOOL DISTRICT IN GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI. HE RECEIVED 102 RECALLS FOR THE BUSES IN THE HARRISON COUNTY DISTRICT OVER A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS CONCERNING ABS BRAKE FAILURE. THE RECALLS WERE FOR DIFFERENT FAILURES ON DIFFERENT SCHOOL BUSES. THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 102 BUSES IN THIS DISTRICTREGARDING SAFETY DEFECTCORRECTIVE ACTIONS. THE ROCKING TRUCKING DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO HONOR THE RECALLS, THE OTHER DEALERSHIP COULD NOT MAKE TIME TO DO REPAIR WORK AS INDICATED ON THE RECALL NOTICES. HE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY TOLD HIM TO CONTACT A LOCAL DEALER TO DO THE RECALL REPAIRS, BUT THAT THEY COULD NOT MAKE THE DEALERSHIP PERFORM THE RECALL SERVICE. *AK

MY COMPANY PURCHASED 3 2005 SIDE-DUMP TRAILERS, MANUFACTURED BY SIDUMP'R TRAILER CO., HWY 13 AND 20, PLAINVIEW, NE, 68769. THESE TRAILERS CAME EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC SLACK ADJUSTERS AND AIR CHAMBERS MANUFACTURED BY CREWSON INDUSTRIES, 1800 BROADWAY, BLDG 3, BUFFALO, NY 14212. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE AUTOMATIC SLACK ADJUSTERS, WHICH ARE SUPPOSED TO MAINTAIN SHOE TO DRUM CLEARANCE AT A FIXED AMOUNT, OVERTIGHTEN THE BRAKES ON TWO WHEEL POSITIONS ON EACH OF THE THREE TRAILERS. THE SECOND PROBLEM IS THAT THE BRAKE CHAMBERS, ALSO SUPPLIED BY CREWSON, DISINTEGRATE AROUND THE ATTACHING BOLTS AND FALL OFF THE TRAILER. THE END RESULT, IF UNDETECTED, IS, IN THE CASE OF THE SLACK ADJUSTER, WHEEL LOCKUP OR BRAKE SHOE FIRE. IN THE CASE OF THE BRAKE CHAMBER, TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKING. UPON INQUIRING AS TO THE FREQUENCY OF THESE PROBLEMS, I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT IT IS QUITE WIDESPREAD AMONG OTHER PURCHASERS OF THESE TRAILERS. I HAVE CONTACTED CREWSON INDUSTRIES AND THEY HAVE SENT REPRESENTATIVES TO INSPECT MY TRAILERS. THEY HAVE OFFERED TO SEND ME REPLACEMENT PARTS, HOWEVER, I FEEL THAT THE REPLACEMENT PARTS WILL BE NO BETTER THAN THE ONES INSTALLED ON MY TRAILERS NOW. I HAVE ALSO TALKED TO AN ENGINEER AT CREWSONS, IDENTIFIED AS TONY V, AND HE STATED THE BRAKE CHAMBERS WERE NOT INTENDED TO BE USED ON AXLES INSTALLED ON SIDE DUMP TRAILERS AS THEY FELT THE TWISTING OF THE AXLES WAS THE CAUSE OF THE DISINTEGRATION. AT THIS POINT, HE HAS ALSO STATED, THAT CREWSON WILL NOT REPLACE ANY PARTS WITHOUT FIRST INSPECTING THEM. SECONDLY, HE HAS STATED THAT THEY WILL NOT REPLACE MY PARTS AS THEY CANNOT SUPPLY ME WITH PARTS THAT ARE BETTER THAN WHAT I HAVE. AT THIS POINT, I BELIEVE THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF THESE SLACK ADJUSTERS AND BRAKE CHAMBERS THAT COULD FAIL AT ANY TIME AND CREWSON INDUSTRIES IS SHIRKING THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER THE GUISE OF THEIR WARRANTY PROCEDURES, LEAVING DANGEROUSLY DEFECTIVE BRAKE EQUIPMENT IN USE ON THE PUBLIC HIGHWAYS.*JB

REAR HYD. BRAKE ROTOR BROKE FROM HUB UNDER ROUTINE SERVICE. THIS HAS HAPPENED PREVIOUSLY TO ANOTHER TRUCK IN OUR FLEET. REPAIR SHOP REPORTS THEY HAVE SEEN SIX OTHER INTERNATIONAL 4300'S WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS JUST ONE OF HUNDREDS OF REPAIR SHOPS IN THIS AREA, SAFE TO SAY THERE MUST BE HUNDREDS OF 4300'S SHEDDING ROTORS. OBVIOUSLY THIS CAUSES A COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKING TO THE AFFECTED WHEEL(S). ADDITIONALLY, THIS CAUSES AN ABS FAULT CONDITION WHICH DISABLES THE EXHAUST BRAKE AND ALLOWS THE REMAINING BRAKING WHEELS TO LOCK CAUSING A LOSS OF CONTROL. AS OUR MECHANIC OBSERVED, THESE TRUCKS ARE GOING TO KILL SOMEBODY IF THESE BRAKES AND SOFTWARE ARE NOT REDESIGNED. THE ROTORS, CALIPERS, PADS, WHEEL SPEED SENSORS AND HARDWARE ON THE REAR AXLE HAVE BEEN REPLACED AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE. THE DAMAGE HAS BEEN PHOTOGRAPHED. *JB