RICON/THRESHOLD WARNING/ANTI-STOW

ON 11/2/2007 RICON FILED TWO NONCOMPLIANCE REPORTS FOR THEIR S SERIES AND K SERIES PLATFORM STYLE WHEELCHAIR LIFTS. RICON IDENTIFIED CERTAIN WHEELCHAIR LIFTS (07E-095), MANUFACTURED BETWEEN 4/1/2005 AND 10/9/07, AS FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE THRESHOLD WARNING SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 403 S7.4. THESE LIFTS' THRESHOLD WARNING SYSTEM MIGHT NOT ACTIVATE IF A MOBILITY AID (SUCH AS A WHEELCHAIR) MOVES TOWARD A CERTAIN POINT IN THE THRESHOLD AREA. SHOULD THIS SYSTEM NOT OPERATE PROPERLY, THE WHEELCHAIR LIFT OCCUPANT MIGHT FALL FROM THE LIFT AND SUFFER INJURY. RICON SUBMITTED ANOTHER NONCOMPLIANCE REPORT (07E-097) FOR THE S SERIES & K SERIES WHEELCHAIR LIFTS, ENCOMPASSING SOME OF THE LIFTS FROM THE ABOVE RECALL. MANUFACTURED BETWEEN 4/1/05 AND 6/6/2006, CERTAIN LIFTS MAY FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THEIR ANTI-STOW INTERLOCK REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 403 S7. THE PRESSURE SENSING SWITCH THAT DETECTS WEIGHT ON THE PLATFORM MIGHT NOT BE ADJUSTED TO THE PROPER SENSITIVITY LEVEL. THESE LIFTS MIGHT BEGIN TO TILT TOWARD THE VEHICLE AND BEGIN TO STOW WHILE AN OCCUPANT IS STILL ON THE LIFT. THIS MAY CAUSE THE OCCUPANT TO SLIDE OR FALL FROM THE LIFT AND SUFFER INJURY. ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2008 RMD MAILED LETTERS TO 183 COMPANIES, WHICH CONSTITUTED THE ENTIRETY OF RICON'S CUSTOMER LIST FOR THE RECALLED PRODUCTS, ADVISING THEM OF RICON'S RECALL AND REQUESTING THAT THEY FILE THEIR REQUIRED REPORTS. RMD FOLLOWED THAT MAILING WITH A 2ND IR LETTER ON 11/17/2008. AS A RESULT OF THOSE MAILINGS, A TOTAL OF 53 COMPANIES DECIDED TO SUBMIT A NONCOMPLIANCE REPORT AND CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL FOR THE VEHICLES THEY MANUFACTURED OR ALTERED AS "NEW" VEHICLES WITH THE INSTALLATION OF THESE RECALLED WHEELCHAIR LIFTS. A TOTAL OF 95 RECALLS (MANY COMPANIES FILING A REPORT FOR EACH RECALL) WERE RECEIVED AS A RESULT OF THESE INITIAL MAILINGS. IN THE COURSE OF THE EQ, IT WAS LEARNED THAT ONE OF RICON'S CUSTOMERS, VANTAGE MOBILITY INTERNATIONAL (VMI), ACTUALLY DISTRIBUTED ITS WHEELCHAIR LIFTS TO HUNDREDS OF OTHER COMPANIES