School Bus Company Issues Recall over Weak Roofs
Corp Micro Bird Inc. is recalling certain school buses following fears their roofs may collapse after a rollover.
The school bus manufacturer notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on April 18, 2017 it will recall 602 2012-2017 Micro Bird MBII buses. The recalled buses are single rear wheel models and have gross vehicle weight ratings over 10,000 pounds. The company said the buses’ roofs could cave in during a rollover, increasing passenger injury risk. This means the vehicles currently do not meet the U.S. government’s Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) for school bus rollover protection.
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The company stated in its safety recall report filed with the NHTSA they found inconsistencies with their testing procedures. The company used a different size application plate depending on the vehicle’s gross vehicle weight ratio. They discovered the recalled vehicles were not tested with the appropriate plate size.
Corp Micro Bird issued a previous recall for this problem in 2015, and established a new construction procedure addressing the fault. They later re-evaluated the procedure and decided to recall all vehicles constructed using it.
Micro Bird will notify owners, and dealers will modify the buses to prevent the roof from crushing, free of charge. The recall will begin May 12, 2017. Owners may contact Micro Bird customer service at 1-819-477-2012. Micro Bird’s number for this recall is 17-070-SUS. Note: This recall supersedes the previous recall. Bus owners or school personnel can also visit the NHTSA’s website and enter their VIN to see if their district’s buses are included in any recalls.
Vehicle manufacturers are legally required to fix any recalled problems for free. If a manufacturer or dealership refuses to repair or attempts to charge for the repair, the consumer has grounds for legal recourse. The Highway Safety Act of 1970, which created the NHTSA, requires vehicle manufacturers to pay for the recall and replacement of a defective part.
If the manufacturer fails to repair, replace, repurchase, or provide your recalled vehicle’s loss value, they are violating the warranty and a lawyer may be able to assist you. Lemon law attorneys help their clients by dealing directly with the manufacturer on the clients’ behalf, working to promptly resolve the issue and get their clients back on the road. Thanks to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, attorneys can seek their fees directly from the manufacturer, meaning a client can obtain legal counsel without having to pay attorneys’ fees directly out of pocket.