Ameritrans Power Train: Column Shift

Ameritrans is recalling about 4 vehicles over a problem with the power train. 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.

Campaign
19V527000
Manufacturer
Ameritrans Bus, Inc.
Reported
12 July 2019
Vehicles
4
Built between
Jan 2013 – Dec 2016
Models
1
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
23 July 2019
Repaired
0%
Unrepaired
4

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between January 2013 and December 2016. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 2013-2016 Ameritrans 5500Built January 2013 to December 2016

Repair progress

4 of 4 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q4 2020.

0% repaired — 0 of 4 reported

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

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.

What could happen

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.

What gets fixed

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.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtJanuary 2013 to December 2016
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA12 July 2019
  3. Owners notified23 July 2019
  4. Latest repair reportQ4 2020 — 0% 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 12 July 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 Ameritrans customer service at 1-574-218-4786.

Official source

Recalling manufacturer
Ameritrans Bus, Inc.
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.NHTSA is missing critical, required information for this safety recall. This information must be supplied through the NHTSA Recalls Portal within 5 working days of confirming its accuracy:- In the case of a defect, a chronology of all principal events that were the basis for the determination that the defect related to motor vehicle safety, including a summary of all warranty claims, field or service reports, and other information (such as numbers of deaths and/or injuries), with their dates of receipt (49 CFR 573.6 (c)(6)).- A description of the manufacturer's program for remedying the defect or noncompliance (49 CFR 573.6 (c)(8)(i)).- Your company's program shall include a plan for reimbursing an owner or purchaser who incurred costs to obtain a remedy for the problem addressed by the recall within a reasonable time in advance of your company's notification of owners, purchasers and dealers, in accordance with § 573.13 of this part. Your company's plan may incorporate by reference a general reimbursement plan it previously submitted to NHTSA, together with information specific to the individual recall. Information required by § 573.13 that is not in a general reimbursement plan shall be submitted in your company's report to NHTSA under this section. If your company submits one or more general reimbursement plans, your company shall update each plan every two years, in accordance with § 573.13. Your company's remedy program and reimbursement plans will be available for inspection by the public at NHTSA headquarters (49 CFR 573.6 (c)(8)(i)). If the vehicles are new and would be covered under the manufacturer's warranty program, please state that in the remedy section of your filing.

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.

Same component

Same brand