Engineering Analysis · Closed

MCI Drive Shaft Safety Loop Failures

Action number

EA12007

Opened

Sep 13, 2012

Closed

Dec 3, 2015

Outcome

Recall 14V335000

Manufacturer: Motor Coach Industries

This investigation led to a recall

NHTSA links this probe to recall campaign 14V335000.

Read the recall: what is defective and the free fix →

What NHTSA is examining

In the fall of 2011, network contacts made ODI aware of four (4) incidents of drive shaft failure on the subject buses involving a loss of vehicle control.Two of the incidents were relatively low speed non-crash events; and two resulted in motor coach rollovers.All four events showed signs of a common failure mode.The incidents and crashes studied during this investigation all resulted from a series of complex events that began with the the yoke journal ears on the drive shafts fracturing.Once the drive shaft failed. it was not adequately contained by a drive shaft safety loop or structure.The spinning and unrestrained drive shaft caused severe damage to components on the steerable tag axle at the rear of the vehicle and created a forced steering condition.Once the rear of the bus was being forcibly steered by the tag axle, the driver lost control of the vehicle.These conclusions are based on the forensics evidence and testing conducted by the Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC).The VRTC test report is attached to this closing resume that provides details on how the test center was able to conclusively identify the defective components on the buses and demonstrate the sequence of events that caused the buses to crash.Prior to the drive shaft failure events, there were no indications of improper maintenance or that maintenance was required that would have prevented the incidents.Additionally, the U-joints on the incident vehicles were found to be in good working condition…

Vehicles under investigation

1992 MCI 102A31993 MCI 102A31998 MCI 102A31992 MCI 102B31993 MCI 102B31998 MCI 102B31992 MCI 102C31993 MCI 102C31992 MCI 102D31993 MCI 102D31994 MCI 102D31995 MCI 102D31996 MCI 102D31997 MCI 102D31998 MCI 102D31999 MCI 102D32000 MCI 102D32001 MCI 102D32002 MCI 102D32003 MCI 102D32004 MCI 102D32005 MCI 102D32006 MCI 102D31992 MCI 102DL31993 MCI 102DL31994 MCI 102DL31995 MCI 102DL31996 MCI 102DL31997 MCI 102DL31998 MCI 102DL31999 MCI 102DL32000 MCI 102DL32001 MCI 102DL32002 MCI 102DL32003 MCI 102DL32004 MCI 102DL32005 MCI 102DL32006 MCI 102DL31997 MCI 102DL3SS1998 MCI 102DL3SS1999 MCI 102DL3SS2000 MCI 102DL3SS2001 MCI 102DL3SS2002 MCI 102DL3SS2003 MCI 102DL3SS2004 MCI 102DL3SS2005 MCI 102DL3SS2006 MCI 102DL3SS1992 MCI 102DLC31993 MCI 102DLC31992 MCI 102DLH31993 MCI 102DLH31998 MCI 102DLS31999 MCI 102DLS32000 MCI 102DLS32000 MCI 102EL32001 MCI 102EL32002 MCI 102EL32003 MCI 102EL32004 MCI 102EL32005 MCI 102EL32006 MCI 102EL31998 MCI D Series2000 MCI D2001 MCI D2002 MCI D2003 MCI D2004 MCI D2005 MCI D2006 MCI D2007 MCI D2008 MCI D1997 MCI D40001998 MCI D40001999 MCI D40002000 MCI D40002001 MCI D40002002 MCI D40002003 MCI D40002004 MCI D40002005 MCI D40002006 MCI D40002007 MCI D40002008 MCI D40002009 MCI D40002010 MCI D40002011 MCI D40002012 MCI D40002007 MCI D4000ISTV2008 MCI D4000ISTV2009 MCI D4000ISTV2010 MCI D4000ISTV2011 MCI D4000ISTV2012 MCI D4000ISTV2000 MCI D40052001 MCI D40052002 MCI D40052003 MCI D40052004 MCI D40052005 MCI D40052006 MCI D40052007 MCI D40052008 MCI D40052009 MCI D40052010 MCI D40052011 MCI D40052012 MCI D40051994 MCI D4500/102DL31995 MCI D4500/102DL31996 MCI D4500/102DL31997 MCI D4500/102DL31998 MCI D4500/102DL31999 MCI D4500/102DL32000 MCI D4500/102DL32001 MCI D4500/102DL32002 MCI D4500/102DL32003 MCI D4500/102DL32004 MCI D4500/102DL32005 MCI D4500/102DL32006 MCI D4500/102DL31997 MCI D45001998 MCI D45001999 MCI D45002000 MCI D45002001 MCI D45002002 MCI D45002003 MCI D45002004 MCI D45002005 MCI D45002006 MCI D45002007 MCI D45002008 MCI D45002009 MCI D45002010 MCI D45002011 MCI D45002012 MCI D45002000 MCI D45052001 MCI D45052002 MCI D45052003 MCI D45052004 MCI D45052005 MCI D45052006 MCI D45052007 MCI D45052008 MCI D45052009 MCI D45052010 MCI D45052011 MCI D45052012 MCI D45052000 MCI Distv2001 MCI Distv2002 MCI Distv2003 MCI Distv2004 MCI Distv2005 MCI Distv2006 MCI Distv2000 MCI DL32001 MCI DL32002 MCI DL32003 MCI DL32004 MCI DL32005 MCI DL32006 MCI DL31998 MCI E Series2001 MCI E Series2002 MCI E Series2003 MCI E Series2004 MCI E Series2005 MCI E Series2006 MCI E Series2007 MCI E Series2008 MCI E Series2009 MCI E Series2010 MCI E Series2011 MCI E Series2012 MCI E Series1999 MCI E45002000 MCI E45002001 MCI E45002002 MCI E45002003 MCI E45002004 MCI E45002005 MCI E45002006 MCI E45002007 MCI E45002008 MCI E45002009 MCI E45002010 MCI E45002011 MCI E45002012 MCI E45002002 MCI E4500C2003 MCI E4500C2004 MCI E4500C2005 MCI E4500C2006 MCI E4500C1998 Motor Coach 102 DL31999 Motor Coach 102 DL32000 Motor Coach 102 DL32001 Motor Coach 102 DL3

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation records, updated daily. An investigation is not a determination that a defect exists; many probes close without a recall.