Investigations
ROOF HATCH DETACHMENT
NHTSA SQ SQ98027 - closed, opened 1998-10-29.
NHTSA investigation SQ98027 is a SQ opened on 1998-10-29 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1998-11-24 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "THE THOMAS BUILT BUS COMPANY INITIATED A RECALL CAMPAIGN IN CANADA FOR 98 MODEL YEAR 1993 SERIES 8600 SCHOOL BUSES TO INSTALL SAFETY CABLES ON THE ROOF HATCHES TO PREVENT SEPARATION OF THE HATCH FROM THE VEHICLE WHEN THE..." Investigations are the early-warning layer of the federal auto-safety system, sitting upstream of formal recalls and defect orders. Whether this one closes without action or escalates into an Engineering Analysis, the full history stays in the ODI archive so researchers, litigators, and buyers can pull the paper trail at any time.
Investigation Summary
THE THOMAS BUILT BUS COMPANY INITIATED A RECALL CAMPAIGN IN CANADA FOR 98 MODEL YEAR 1993 SERIES 8600 SCHOOL BUSES TO INSTALL SAFETY CABLES ON THE ROOF HATCHES TO PREVENT SEPARATION OF THE HATCH FROM THE VEHICLE WHEN THE HINGE POP RIVETS FAIL. THE SEPARATED ROOF HATCHES BECOME A HAZARD TO PEDESTRIANS AND OTHER VEHICLES. AN SQ WAS OPENED TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER SIMILAR SCHOOL BUSES IN THE U.S. HAVE THE SAME ROOF HATCHES INSTALLED. ON OCTOBER 29, 1998, MS. WANDA AURTIS OF THOMAS BUILT STATED THAT THE BUSES WERE BUILT TO THE SPECIFICATIONS REQUIRED IN MANITOBA, CANADA. THERE ARE REPORTEDLY NO SIMILAR THOMAS BUILT BUSES EQUIPPED WITH THESE ROOF HATCHES IN THE U.S.
About This Investigation Type
Data from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Cross-references: NHTSA recall campaign API and NHTSA FARS where fatality records overlap. PlainCars does not rate or recommend vehicles. about how PlainCars sources NHTSA data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.