The Recall Desk
Our severity:HighNHTSA·10V645000·Announced 2010-12-27

Girardin MB IV Transit Buses Recalled for Electrical Fire Risk

Micro Bird is recalling 1999-2002 Girardin MB IV buses due to a defective evaporator that may overheat and cause a fire.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 3/5 (High).

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall addresses a risk-of-harm product (fire) where no specific injuries or fatalities have been reported in the source text, fitting the 'High' severity criteria.

Plain-English summary

Micro Bird, Inc. is recalling certain model year 1999 through 2002 Girardin MB IV transit buses built on Ford and GM cutaway chassis. These vehicles were manufactured between August 2, 1999, and May 8, 2002, and are equipped with a Trans/Air TA73 evaporator. The recall involves 26 affected vehicles.

The defect involves the evaporator's power resistor, which regulates 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 tripping the fuse. This causes the resistor temperature to rise until it melts, potentially igniting the plastic blower housing to which it is mounted, resulting in a fire.

Micro Bird, in cooperation with Trans/Air, will install a thermal shutdown device in series with the speed resistors to correct the issue. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on January 11, 2011. 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
GIRARDIN MB IV
Brand
GIRARDIN
Manufacturer
CORP. MICRO BIRD, INC.
Category
Vehicle — Transit Bus
Hazard
Affected units
26

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 (1)

  • MB IV

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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