The defect
Ameritrans Bus, Inc. (Ameritrans) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Ameritrans Ram 5500 (R Series) vehicles. Pushing the brake pedal for prolonged periods when the vehicle is running and in PARK may cause the Brake Transmission Shift Interlock (BTSI) pin to stick in the open position. With the pin in the open position, the transmission can be shifted out of PARK into any gear without pushing the brake pedal or having the key in the ignition.
The risk
Being able to shift the transmission without pushing the brake pedal and/or without a key in the ignition can increase the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal injury or a crash.
The remedy
Ameritrans has notified owners and Chrysler dealers will update the vehicle software, inspect the BTSI, and, as necessary, replace it, free of charge. The recall began July 23, 2019. Owners may contact Ameritrans customer service at 1-574-218-4786.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Ameritrans 5500 | 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 |
Components: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ameritrans 5500 | 2013 | 0 | 2 |
| Ameritrans 5500 | 2014 | 0 | 2 |
| Ameritrans 5500 | 2015 | 0 | 2 |
| Ameritrans 5500 | 2016 | 0 | 2 |
Other power train recalls in 2019
43 of the 880 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2019 concerned the power train; Ameritrans Bus, Inc. filed 10 campaigns in all.
| 19V923000 27 Dec 2019 | Autocar, LLC |
| 19V911000 19 Dec 2019 | PACCAR Incorporated |
| 19V900000 17 Dec 2019 | Prevost Cars, Inc. |
| 19V866000 6 Dec 2019 | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. |
| 19V857000 2 Dec 2019 | Piaggio Group Americas. Inc. |
| 19V855000 2 Dec 2019 | Subaru of America, Inc. |
| 19V831000 19 Nov 2019 | Daimler Trucks North America LLC |
| 19V815000 15 Nov 2019 | Triumph Motorcycles America, LTD |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2019