MCI Electrical System: Alternator/Generator/Regulator

Mci is recalling about 1,067 vehicles over a problem with the electrical system. If the engine shuts down or loses power while the vehicle is in motion, this may increase the risk of a crash.

Campaign
20V352000
Manufacturer
Motor Coach Industries
Reported
12 June 2020
Vehicles
1,067
Built between
Not published
Models
6
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
23 July 2020
Repaired
83%
Unrepaired
177

Does this affect my vehicle?

The manufacturer did not publish a build-date range for this recall, so the model and year list below is the only way to tell whether your vehicle is covered.

  • 2018-2020 MCI D4000
  • 2018-2020 MCI D4005
  • 2018-2020 MCI D45 CRT LE
  • 2018-2020 MCI D4500
  • 2018-2020 MCI D4505
  • 2018-2020 MCI J4500

Repair progress

177 of 1,067 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q2 2022.

83% repaired — 889 of 1,067 reported

Scrapped or exported
1

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 2018-2020 D4000, D4005, D4500, D4505 and D45CRTLE buses manufactured with electric cooling fans (E-fan) for the radiator and charge air cooler, Borg Warner 55SI model dual alternator configuration (with a sense stud and wire), and Parker Vansco Multiplexing Module (VMM) Multiplex system. A build-up of debris, corrosion, and/or water flow could cause a high resistance path to ground for the sense stud on the back of the alternator and cause the alternator to produce excessive voltage output, which may exceed the threshold limit currently programmed in the VMM and result in a loss of engine power and vehicle shutdown.

What could happen

If the engine shuts down or loses power while the vehicle is in motion, this may increase the risk of a crash.

What gets fixed

MCI will notify the affected owners, and dealers will install a new application code in the Parker VMM multiplex modules increasing the overvoltage threshold limit, free of charge. The recall began July 23, 2020.

Timeline

  1. Recall reported to NHTSA12 June 2020
  2. Owners notified23 July 2020
  3. Latest repair reportQ2 2022 — 83% 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 June 2020.

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 479.

Official source

Manufacturer's recall number
SB 479
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.

Same component

Same brand