2009 MICRO BIRD G5

STRUCTURE:EMERGENCY:ESCAPE/EGRESS/EXIT

Corp. Micro Bird, Inc. (Micro Bird) is recalling certain 2008-2025 G5, 2008-2024 MBII, and 2015-2024 T-Series school buses. The rear emergency door exterior handle may unexpectedly break under applied force.

Risk: In the event of an emergency, a broken door handle can prevent or delay emergency responders from entering the bus, increasing the risk of injury.

STRUCTURE:EMERGENCY:ESCAPE/EGRESS/EXIT

Corp. Micro Bird, Inc. (Micro Bird) is recalling certain 2008-2024 G5, 2008-2015 MBII, and 2015-2023 T-Series transit buses. The rear emergency door exterior handle may unexpectedly break under applied force.

Risk: In the event of an emergency, a broken door handle can prevent or delay emergency responders from entering the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

Corp. Micro Bird, Inc. (Micro Bird) is recalling certain 2006-2021 MBII and G5 school buses. An inactive electrical harness that is secured in an opening in the B-pillar may become damaged from sharp edges inside the opening.

Risk: A damaged electrical harness may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

STRUCTURE:EMERGENCY:ESCAPE/EGRESS/EXIT:LATCHING/RELEASE SYSTEM

Corp. Micro Bird, Inc. (Micro Bird) is recalling certain 2003-2022 MBII, T-Series, and G5 school buses. The emergency release handle on the service door may bind, not allowing the door panels to open.

Risk: The service door may not open, preventing evacuation of the vehicle in case of emergency, and increasing the risk of injury.

STRUCTURE:EMERGENCY:ESCAPE/EGRESS/EXIT:LATCHING/RELEASE SYSTEM

Corp. Micro Bird, Inc. (Micro Bird) is recalling certain 2003-2015 MBII, 2015-2021 T-Series, and 2006-2022 G5 transit buses. The emergency release handle on the service door may bind, not allowing the door panels to open.

Risk: The service door may not open, preventing evacuation of the vehicle in case of emergency, increasing the risk of injury.

STRUCTURE:EMERGENCY:ESCAPE/EGRESS/EXIT

Corp. Micro Bird Inc. (Micro Bird) is recalling certain 2004-2021 T-Series, G5, and MBII school buses. The emergency door retaining device may fail to keep the door in an open position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 217, "Bus Emergency Exits and Window Retention and Release."

Risk: If the emergency door won't stay open during an evacuation it can increase the risk of injury.

STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

Corp. Micro Bird Inc. (Micro Bird) is recalling certain 2006-2017 G5 school buses with an unloaded weight more than 10,013 pounds. In a rollover, the roof may crush excessively. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 220, "School Bus Rollover Protection."

Risk: If roof crushes more than the rollover standards allow for the weight and configuration of the bus, the occupants have a greater risk of injury in the event of a rollover crash.

EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

Corp. Micro Bird Inc. (Micro Bird) is recalling certain model year 2006-2014 MB II, G5, and CT-Series transit buses manufactured January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2014, equipped with certain model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505, and S5510 wheelchair lifts built by the Ricon Corporation. The affected lifts are equipped with folding link arms that may have pivot holes that are too big, allowing the bearings to move out of position.

Risk: If the bearings move out of position, the stowed platform may have excessive movement resulting in failure of the platform mounting. This failure could cause the wheel chair lift platform to fall out of the vehicle when the doors are opened, increasing the risk of injury for the lift operator.

EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

Corp. Micro Bird Inc. (Micro Bird) is recalling certain model year 2006-2014 MBII, G5, and T-Series school buses manufactured January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2014, and equipped with certain model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505, and S5510 wheelchair lifts built by the Ricon Corporation. The affected lifts are equipped with folding link arms that may have pivot holes that are too big, allowing the bearings to move out of position.

Risk: If the bearings move out of position, the stowed platform may have excessive movement resulting in failure of the platform mounting. This failure could cause the wheel chair lift platform to fall out of the vehicle when the doors are opened, increasing the risk of injury for the lift operator.

EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

Corp. Micro Bird Inc. (Micro Bird) is recalling certain model year 2006-2014 MB II and G5 transit buses manufactured January 1, 2006, to January 9, 2014, and equipped with certain model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505, and S5510 wheelchair lifts manufactured by Ricon Corporation. The platform side plate of the affected wheelchair lifts may crack.

Risk: If the platform side plates crack, the lift platform can separate from the lift and come to rest against the vehicle's lift door. When the doors are opened, the platform may fall out, increasing the risk of injury to the lift operator.

EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

Corp. Micro Bird Inc. (Micro Bird) is recalling certain model year 2006-2014 MB II and G5 school buses manufactured January 1, 2006, to January 9, 2014, and equipped with certain model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505, and S5510 wheelchair lifts manufactured by Ricon Corporation. The platform side plate of the affected wheelchair lifts may crack.

Risk: If the platform side plates crack, the lift platform can separate from the lift and come to rest against the vehicle's lift door. When the doors are opened, the platform may fall out, increasing the risk of injury to the lift operator.

EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

MICRO BIRD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 THROUGH 2010 MICRO BIRD G5 TRANSIT BUSES EQUIPPED WITH BRAUN CENTURY-2 AND VISTA-2 WHEELCHAIR LIFTS. OVER TIME AND WITH FREQUENT USE, THE ROLL STOP LATCHES ON THE OUTER BARRIER MAY BECOME BENT OR MISALIGNED.

Risk: A WHEELCHAIR OCCUPANT MAY DEFEAT OR RIDE OVER THE INSUFFICIENTLY LATCHED ROLL STOP. IF THIS OCCURS WHEN THE LIFT PLATFORM IS IN AN ELEVATED POSITION, THE WHEELCHAIR’S OCCUPANT COULD FALL AND SUSTAIN INJURY.

STRUCTURE:BODY

MICRO BIRD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 THROUGH 2012 G5 SCHOOL BUSES MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 24, 2009, THROUGH DECEMBER 3, 2011. THE JOINT ON THE METAL CEILING PANEL FAILS TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 221, "SCHOOL BUS BODY JOINT STRENGTH."

Risk: IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE METAL CEILING PANEL MAY PARTIALLY SEPARATE FROM THE BODY STRUCTURE CREATING AN OPENING. A PASSENGER IS AT RISK OF SERIOUS INJURY IF THEY ARE EJECTED OR STRIKE THE CEILING PANEL.

EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

CORP. MICRO BIRD HAS NOTIFIED NHTSA ABOUT A DEFECT IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 SCHOOL BUSES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN OCTOBER 2008 AND MARCH 2010 FITTED WITH RICON PUBLIC USE S AND K SERIES WHEELCHAIR LIFTS. DUE TO A PROBLEM IN THE SOFTWARE THAT CONTROLS THE LIFTS UP FUNCTION, IF THE SWITCH IS RELEASED BEFORE THE FLOOR LEVEL LIMIT SWITCH IS ACTIVATED, THE LIFT MAY CONTINUE ITS UPWARD TRAVEL FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 SECOND BEFORE STOPPING. THE CONTINUED UPWARD TRAVEL MAY OVERRUN THE FLOOR LEVEL CUT OFF POINT.

Risk: WHEN THE PLATFORM OVERRUNS THE VEHICLE FLOOR LEVEL AND STOPS AT AN ANGLE FROM 15-20 DEGREES, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A PERSON IN A WHEELCHAIR TO TIP OVER AND FOR SOMEONE STANDING ON THE PLATFORM TO FALL, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN INJURIES.

EQUIPMENT

CERTAIN GIRARDIN MODEL YEAR 2006 THROUGH 2010 AND MICRO BIRD BY GIRARDIN MODEL YEAR 2009 THROUGH 2010 G5 AND 2003 THROUGH 2006 GIRARDIN MB IV TRANSIT BUSES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 217, "BUS EMERGENCY EXISTS AND WINDOW RETENTION AND RELEASE." THE VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH THERMAL T-SLIDER OR PANORAMIC TYPE PUSH-OUT WINDOWS WITH 2 RELEASE MECHANISMS (ONE ON EACH SIDE). THE WINDOW HANDLE BASE SPACER PLATE CAN TEAR DUE TO THE ROTATION OF THE EXTERIOR WINDOW FRAME.

Risk: IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE EMERGENCY EXIT COULD NOT SUFFICIENTLY RESTRAIN THE OCCUPANT(S) OR BECOME INOPERABLE. THE OCCUPANT(S) COULD BE THROWN FROM THE VEHICLE OR NOT BE CAPABLE OF OPENING THE EMERGENCY EXITS WHICH COULD CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH OF THE VEHICLE OCCUPANT(S).