The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereNHTSA·10V548000·Announced 2010-11-05

Turtle Top Transit Buses Recalled for Blower Motor Fire Risk

Turtle Top is recalling 2001-2007 GM and Ford chassis transit buses due to a blower motor resistor defect that could cause a fire.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).

The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a fire hazard in a vehicle, which aligns with the rubric criterion for 'significant injury/property-damage reports' or structural/functional defects leading to severe outcomes like fire.

Plain-English summary

Turtle Top is recalling certain model year 2001-2007 transit buses built on GM and Ford chassis. The affected vehicles were manufactured between August 2, 1999, and September 1, 2007, and are equipped with Trans/Air TA73 evaporators. The recall covers specific GM models including MPV Bus, Odyssey, Odyssey XL, and Terra Transit, as well as Ford models including Limousine Coach, MPV, MPV Bus, Odyssey, Odyssey XL, and Terra Transit.

The defect involves a power resistor used to regulate blower speed. If a short occurs in the low or medium speed circuit while the blower is in high speed, the supply voltage may feedback through the resistor to ground without drawing enough current to trip the fuse. This can cause the resistor temperature to rise until it melts, potentially igniting the plastic blower housing to which it is mounted. The overheating can result in a fire.

Trans/Air, in cooperation with Turtle Top, will install a thermal shutdown device in series with the speed resistors. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on November 24, 2010. Owners may contact the Trans/Air Warranty and Service Center at 1-800-673-2446 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
FORD, GM TERRA TRANSIT, LIMO COACH, MPV BUS, ODYSSEY
Brand
FORD
Manufacturer
TURTLE TOP
Category
Vehicle — Transit Bus
Hazard
Affected units
1,817

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (6)

  • TERRA TRANSIT
  • LIMO COACH
  • MPV BUS
  • ODYSSEY
  • ODYSSEY XL
  • MPV

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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