ORION Complaints

2012 ORION VII: COOLANT HOSE FAILURE IN THE AIR DUCT ABOVE THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT HAS FAILED THREE TIMES RESULTING IN HOT COOLANT RAINING DOWN ONTO THE SEATS

A PORT AUTHORITY OWNED 2006 ORION VI DIESEL POWERED AIRPORT SHUTTLE BUS WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE ON 6/28/08 AT ABOUT 12:00 A.M. FORTUNATELY THE BUS WAS NOT CARRYING PASSENGERS AT THE TIME, AS THE FIRE SPREAD QUICKLY AND DESTROYED THE BUS EVEN THOUGH IT WAS EQUIPPED WITH AN ON-BOARD FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM THAT DISCHARGED AGENT INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. FOLLOWING AN INVESTIGATION BY A FORENSIC ENGINEER WITH EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN DIESEL FIRES, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS THE WEAR AND SHORTING OF WIRES FROM THE ALTERNATOR THAT WERE CHAFFING ON THE #5 CYLINDER DIESEL INJECTOR LINE. UPON REMOVAL IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE LINE WAS MELTED AND A HOLE BURNED THROUGH THE STEEL TUBE ALLOWING THE SPRAYING OF HIGH PRESSURE DIESEL FUEL. UPON INVESTIGATING OTHER BUSES OF THE SAME MANUFACTURING GROUP APPROXIMATELY 15 OUT OF 17 BUSES DISPLAYED AT LEAST SOME WEAR, AND 7 HAD PHYSICAL GROOVING ON THE INJECTOR LINE. *TR

THIS VEHICLE LOOSES POWER ANYTIME IT RAINS. THE PROBLEM IS DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY WHILE OPERATING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THERE IS AN INJURY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROBLEM. THE ENGINE AND BUS MANUFACTURER ARE AWARE OF THIS DESIGN DEFECT BUT WILL NOT RESPOND WITH A FIX. *NM

A FIRE ORIGINATED FROM THE RIGHT REAR SIDE BRAKE DRUM DESTROYED THIS BUS.AFTER REVIEWING COMPLAINT NUMBER 10082983 & 10119358. I BELIEVE THIS INCIDENT IS RELATED TO THE FIRE OF OUR BUS. I REQUEST AN INVESTIGATION BECAUSE THIS IS A TRANSIT BUS AND THE SAFETY OF PASSENGERS IS OF CONCERN.

A FIRE ORIGINATING FROM THE RIGHT REAR SIDE BRAKE DRUM DESTROYED THIS BUS. AFTER REVIWING PRIOR COMPLAINT NUMBER 10082983, WE BELIEVE THIS INCIDENT IS RELATED TO THE INCIDENT THAT WAS THE SUBJECT OF COMPAINT # 10082983. WE REQUEST AN INVESTIGATION BECAUSE THIS IS A TRANSIT BUS AND THE SAFETY OF PASSENGERS IS OF CONCERN.

WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY OTHER DRIVER'S THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND PULLED OVER. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AT THIS TIME. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

1) INTERUPTION OF SERVICE REPORTED BY BUS OPERATOR AND FIRE DEPARTMENT REQUESTED. 2) MECHANICAL FAILURE OF PNEUMATIC BRAKE CHAMBER CAUSING BRAKES TO DRAG RESULTING IN SUFFICIENT HEAT TO IGNITE THE TIRE AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS OF THE VEHICLE. 3) ALTERNATE BRAKE CHAMBER HAS BEEN RESEARCHED, TESTED AND IMPLEMENTATION STARTED.*AK

APRIL 21, 2003 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION NSA-10.01, 400 7TH STREET, SW WASHINGTON, DC 20590 SUBJECT: ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) DEFECT ?? 2000 MODEL ORION V TRANSIT BUSES THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT OF DENVER, COLORADO OPERATES A SUBFLEET OF 303 MODEL YEAR 2000 ORION V TRANSIT BUSES. THESE BUSES ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE MERITOR WABCO ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) AND TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM. ON OCTOBER 29, 2002 DURING A HEAVY SNOWSTORM, 29 OF THESE ORION BUSES EXPERIENCED FRONT WHEEL LOCK UP UPON BRAKE APPLICATION. IT APPEARED THE ABS MODULATOR VALVES WERE OBSTRUCTED BY SNOW AND ICE, AND FAILED TO RELEASE AIR DURING AN ABS CYCLE. RTD ACCIDENTALLY DISCOVERED THAT BY POWERING DOWN THE BUSES AND POWERING THEM BACK UP, THE ABS WENT THROUGH A SELF-TEST PROCEDURE, WHICH ALLOWED VENTING OF TRAPPED AIR IN THE BRAKE CHAMBER AND RELEASED THE BRAKE. THIS PROBLEM REPEATED ON MARCH 19, 2003 DURING ANOTHER HEAVY SNOWSTORM IN DENVER. DURING THE MIDST OF THE SNOWSTORM, OVER 200 RTD BUSES, MOST OF THEM ORION BUSES, WERE STUCK ON SNOW. RTD CONTRIBUTED MOST OF THE STUCK BUSES TO THE FRONT WHEEL LOCK UP PROBLEM RESULTING FROM THE FAILURES OF THE ABS. TWO OTHER SUBFLEETS IN RTD??S FLEET THAT ARE EQUIPPED WITH SIMILAR ABS EXPERIENCED NO SIMILAR ABS FAILURES DURING THE TWO SNOWSTORMS. RTD HAS REQUESTED ORION AND MERITOR WABCO TO CORRECT THIS BRAKE SYSTEM SAFETY RELATED DEFECT. HOWEVER, ORION AND MERITOR WABCO HAVE REFUSED TO TAKE ANY ACTIONS. RTD IS FILING THIS COMPLAINT IN HOPING OF GETTING THE ASSISTANCE FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO REQUIRE THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER AND/OR THE EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER TO TAKE ACTIONS TO CORRECT THIS DEFECT. PLEASE CONTACT THE UNDERSIGNED FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IF NECESSARY AT 303-299-6265 OR EMAIL [email protected]. *JB

ORION RECEIVED NOTICE OF A BUS FIRE ON A 1998 OPERATED BY COMMAND BUS COMPANY. AN INVESTIGATION CONCLUDED THAT THE THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY IGNITION OF THE HYDRAULIC FLUID RELEASED FROM THE FAN MOTOR HOSE CONNECTION INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE O-RING REMOVED FROM THE FAN MOTOR WAS DAMAGED AND WAS NOT INSTALLED AS RECOMMENDED BY ORION IN THE SERVICE MANUAL. *TT