NHTSA Complaint #10227577 — 2007 OPTIMA OPUS

WE PURCHASED A FLEET OF 8 25-PASSENGER BUSES FROM NABI, WHO BOUGHT OUR OPTIMA BUS. THEY RECEIVED THE BID BECAUSE THEY COULD GUARANTEE DELIVERY BY THE FIRST PART OF JULY. ON AUG. 30, THE FIRST BUSES STARTED COMING IN AND CONTINUED COMING IN OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS. 2 OF THE BUSES HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINES THAT BLEW UP ON THE WAY FROM THE FACTORY TO DELIVERY. MULTIPLE AND ONGOING PROBLEMS SIDELINED THE BUSES TO THE POINT WHERE WE COULD NOT ACCEPT THEM OR OPERATE THEM. AFTER TECHNICIANS WORKED ON THE BUSES, WE ACCEPTED THEM BY THE END OF DECEMBER TO ENABLE THE COMPANY TO GET PAID. THROUGH THE MONTH OF JAN., WE CONTINUED TO FINE TUNE THE PROBLEMS. FINALLY, WE STARTED ROAD TESTING THEM ON FEB. 19. ON MARCH 21, WE HAD ONE CATCH FIRE AND NEARLY BURN TO THE GROUND. AFTER DISABLING THE COMPONENT THOUGHT TO BE THE CULPRIT, WE CONTINUED TO ROAD TEST THE BUSES. IN APRIL WE HAD ANOTHER FIRE IN A DIFFERENT AREA OF THE BUS. AGAIN ALL BUSES HAVE BEEN DEADLINED. IN ADDITION, THE NEW BUSES, ALL WITH LESS THAN 4,000 MILES, HAVE BEEN TOWED FROM THE OPEN ROAD 4 TIMES WHEN THEY HAVE FAILED. NABI HAS SENT 3 TECHNICIANS OUT AND THE BUSES CONTINUE TO FAIL. IN ADDITION, THE SERIAL ENGINE NUMBER FOR THIS BUS BELONGS TO ANOTHER AGENCY. *TR