Wheelchair Lift may Raise too High/FMVSS 403 – 2016 Freightliner Sprinter

February 27, 2019

Wheelchair Lift may Raise too High/FMVSS 403

If the wheelchair lift platform stops above the vehicle floor, the wheelchair user can tip inwards towards the vehicle when exiting the lift, increasing their risk of injury.

 

NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V140

Manufacturer Midway Specialty Vehicles

Components EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE

Potential Number of Units Affected 1

 

Summary

Midway Specialty Vehicles (Midway) is recalling one 2016 Freightliner Sprinter vehicle modified to be equipped with a Ricon Titanium Wheelchair Lift. The wheelchair lift positioning input cam may fail while the lift is in use, allowing the platform to travel higher than the vehicle’s floor height. As such, this vehicle fails to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 403, “Platform Lift Systems.”

 

Remedy

Midway has notified the affected owner and a Ricon dealer will replace the lift positioning input cam, free of charge. The recall began February 27, 2019. Owners may contact Ricon customer service at 1-800-322-2884 or Midway customer service at 1-574-264-2530.

 

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

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IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL

Dear Customer:

Vehicle Identification Number

This Notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the United States National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

 

Ricon has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain Ricon Lifts manufactured between 1-1-12 and 5-9-18.

The vehicles subject to this recall campaign were manufactured with the defective lift.

 

What We Will Do

Ricon will provide materials and labor as out lined above through Authorized Ricon dealers.

 

What you Should D0

Please refer to the attached Safety Recall Notice. Contact Midway Specialty Vehicles at 574-264-2530 if you experience any trouble regarding the completion of this recall.

 

Notifications

We have notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of this recall and the procedures involved. Should Ricon fail or be unable to correct the defect without charge, you may write to the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590; or call the toll-free Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http:// www.safercar.gov.

 

Federal regulations require that any vehicle lessor receiving this recall notice must forward a copy of this notice to lessee within 10 days.

 

We are sorry to cause this inconvenience;however, we have taken this action in the interest of your safety and continued satisfaction with our products.

 

Sincerely,

 

Brad Brubaker
VP Engineering
Midway Specialty Vehicles
2940 Dexter Drive
Elkhart, Indiana 46514

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SAFETY RECALL NOTICE

END USER – DRAFT

 

[Date]

[End User]

 

RE: Defect Recall Notification 18E-044

 

 

Dear [End User]:

This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Ricon has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in the Ricon wheelchair lift installed in your vehicle.

 

!  I M P O R T A N T !

• Your Ricon Wheelchair Lift is being recalled
• Contact Ricon Corporation immediately

 

WHAT IS BEING RECALLED:

This recall applies to approximately 4,262 Ricon S Series and K Series Titanium Wheelchair Lifts, part numbers K200, K201, K550, K551, S200, S201, S550, S551 no dashes. The recall population includes all units of these models beginning January 1, 2012, until May 9, 2018. A list of affected serial numbers, corresponding order numbers and ship dates of affected units sold to your company is attached.

 

WHY IS IT BEING RECALLED:

If the position input cam fails and the lift operator continues to press the “up” button on the operating pendant while the lift is occupied, the cutoff switch is dis-abled and the platform can travel past the vehicle floor height, potentially causing the occupant to tip inwards, toward the vehicle. If the wheelchair lift platform stops above the vehicle floor, the wheelchair user can tip inwards toward the vehicle when exiting the lift, increasing their risk of injury.

 

WHAT YOU AS THE OWNER/OPERATOR SHOULD DO:

Arrange for service at the nearest Ricon servicing dealer by any of the following methods:

• Using the locator on the Ricon website – riconcorp.com
• Calling Ricon Customer Service at (800)322-2884
• Emailing Ricon’s Recall Coordinator, at [email protected]

 

WHAT RICON CORPORATION WILL DO:

Ricon will provide materials and labor as outlined above through Authorized Ricon dealers. If after attempting to have your vehicle repaired you believe you have not been able to have your vehicle remedied within a reasonable amount of time, you may submit a complaint to the

 

Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E., Washington, D.C., 20590; or call the toll-free Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov.

 

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. If you have any questions concerning these procedures please contact Ricon Customer Service at (800)322-2884.

 

We apologize for the inconvenience this safety recall will cause. Sincerely,

 

Cecilia M. Cheng, PE Director of Engineering

Ricon Corporation, a Wabtec Company

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1 Affected Product

Vehicle

 

 

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3 Associated Documents

Recall Acknowledgement

RCAK-19V140-8027.pdf 245.65KB

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Owner Notification Letter(Part 577)

RCONL-19V140-7055.pdf 400.41KB

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Defect Notice 573 Report

RCLRPT-19V140-9673.PDF 212.42KB

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Recall Quarterly Report #1, 2019-1

RCLQRT-19V140-4231.PDF 211.125KB

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Recall Quarterly Report #2, 2019-2

RCLQRT-19V140-2303.PDF 211.226KB

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Recall Quarterly Report #3, 2019-3

RCLQRT-19V140-9220.PDF 211.309KB

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Latest Recalls Documents

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/documentList.xhtml?docId=19V140&docType=RCL

 

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