The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MOTOR HOMES, TRANSIT AND SCHOOL BUSES EQUIPPED WITH TRW DRAG LINKS. EACH DRAG LINK ASSEMBLY CONTAINS TWO 20-EDL MODEL BALL SOCKET ASSEMBLIES. CERTAIN OF THE BALL-SOCKET BEARINGS HAVE A BELOW SPECIFICATION CASE DEPTH AND/OR HARDNESS WHICH CAN LEAD TO PREMATURE WEAR OUT OF THE SOCKET.
The risk
THIS CAN LEAD TO PREMATURE WEAR WITH POSSIBLE SEPARATION OF THE BALL STUD FROM THE SOCKET, INCREASING THE RISK OF LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.
The remedy
SPARTAN CUSTOMERS ARE BEING NOTIFIED TO CONTACT TRW FOR THE FREE REMEDY REPAIR.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Spartan Alpine | 1999, 2000 |
| Spartan SB | 1999, 2000 |
| Spartan Summit | 1999, 2000 |
| Spartan TB | 1999, 2000 |
Components: STEERING:LINKAGES:DRAG:LINK:CONNECTION
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spartan Alpine | 1999 | 0 | 2 |
| Spartan Alpine | 2000 | 1 | 1 |
| Spartan SB | 1999 | 0 | 3 |
| Spartan SB | 2000 | 0 | 2 |
| Spartan Summit | 1999 | 0 | 3 |
| Spartan Summit | 2000 | 1 | 3 |
| Spartan TB | 1999 | 0 | 2 |
| Spartan TB | 2000 | 0 | 2 |
Other steering recalls in 2000
45 of the 541 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2000 concerned the steering; SPARTAN MOTORS, INC. filed 45 campaigns in all.
| 00V428000 29 Dec 2000 | THOMAS BUILT BUSES, INC. |
| 00V414000 6 Dec 2000 | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC |
| 00V246111 28 Nov 2000 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY |
| 00V391000 21 Nov 2000 | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. |
| 01V139001 20 Nov 2000 | VOLVO TRUCKS NORTH AMERICA INC |
| 00V246310 8 Nov 2000 | FORETRAVEL, INC. |
| 00V246309 2 Nov 2000 | ATHEY PRODUCTS CORP. |
| 00V246108 31 Oct 2000 | E-ONE, INC. |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2000