- Vehicles
- 2,089
- Built between
- Mar 1997 – Oct 2014
- Models
- 3
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 14 May 2021
- Repaired
- 12%
- Unrepaired
- 1,788
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between March 1997 and October 2014. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1997-2013 MCI 102EL3Built March 1997 to May 2014
- 1997-2013 MCI E4500Built May 1997 to May 2014
- 2001-2015 MCI J4500Built March 2001 to October 2014
Repair progress
1,788 of 2,089 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q1 2023.
12% repaired — 260 of 2,089 reported
- Owners not reachable
- 14
- Scrapped or exported
- 27
Manufacturers file these figures with NHTSA each quarter. Vehicles the manufacturer could not trace, or that have been scrapped or exported, are counted separately and are not included in the unrepaired figure.
What the defect is
Motor Coach Industries (MCI) is recalling certain 2001-2015 J4500 and 1997-2013 102EL3/E4500 coaches equipped with a hydraulic rear axle (tag axle) steering system. The axle's alignment and low hydraulic pressure in the steering system may cause the steering system to lock, causing a loss of steering control at highway speeds.
What could happen
Loss of steering control may increase the risk of a crash.
What gets fixed
MCI will inspect and repair axle alignment, as necessary, free of charge. MCI issued owners an interim notification on March 26, 2019. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 14, 2021.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtMarch 1997 to October 2014
- Recall reported to NHTSA7 January 2019
- Owners notified14 May 2021
- Latest repair reportQ1 2023 — 12% repaired
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 7 January 2019.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
Owners may contact MCI customer service at 1-800-241-2947. MCI's number for this recall is SB 469.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- SB 469
- Recalling manufacturer
- Motor Coach Industries
- Recall initiated by
- MFR
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.