NHTSA Complaint #10806685 — 2007 PIERCE IMPEL

REF: NHTSA #15V615000 VOQ #10671053 1/8/15 WE FILED A COMPLAINT THAT OUR '07 PIERCE IMPEL FIRE TRUCK HAD A STEERING ISSUE, OPERATOR DID NOT FEEL IN CONTROL, AND MECHANICS FOUND BALL JOINTS FAILED. THERE IS A 910 PIERCE FIRE TRUCK RECALL THAT REFERENCE OUR COMPLAINT. THE RECALL COVERS 06/07 ARROW, QUANTUM, DASH, LANCE, AND ENFORCER. HOW CAN WE FILE THE COMPLAINT ON A PIERCE IMPEL, SEND FAILED BALL JOINTS, AND THEN NOT HAVE THE COMPLAINT TRUCK COVERED IN THE RECALL? WE SENT FAILED BALL JOINTS TO NHTSA. MOST OF THE BALL JOINTS SENT DID NOT HAVE BOOT FAILURES, THE BALL JOINTS WERE LOCKED-UP, GALLED, AND COATINGS MISSING. THE TAK4 SUSPENSION IS AN ASSEMBLY WHICH INCLUDES THE BALL JOINTS. WHEN A PIERCE FIRE TRUCK IS BUILT, THE TAK4 ASSEMBLY IS TAKEN AND BOLTED UNDER THAT CHASSIS, IT IS ADJUSTED TO THE TRUCK WEIGHT. IF PIERCE CLAIMS IN THEIR 910 TRUCK RECALL THAT THE BALL JOINT BOOTS COULD RIP/TEAR ON THE MODELS LISTED FOR 06/07, HOW CAN THE SAME BOOTS NOT RIP ON IMPEL, VELOCITY, OR OTHER MODELS WITH TAK4 IN THE 06/07 MODEL YEAR? ONE STEP FURTHER, THE BALL JOINT BOOTS THAT PIERCE IS CLAIMING RIPS/TEARS IS THE SAME BOOT USED ON THE TAK4 SUSPENSION FROM 04 TO 09. WHY ARE THESE BOOTS NOT BEING RECALLED? IS PIERCE ALLOWED TO BASE THEIR RECALL SOLELY ON WARRANTY RECORDS? THAT WOULD BE ONE OR POSSIBLY TWO YEARS. AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD OR DENIED CLAIM, THERE IS NO RECORD OF FAILURE. RESEARCH HOW MANY REPLACEMENT BALL JOINTS, BOOTS, AND CONTROL ARMS HAVE BEEN SOLD BY PIERCE! MANY OF THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN IGNORED BY PIERCE AND LEFT FOR THE OPERATORS OF THE TRUCKS TO CORRECT AND PAY FOR. STRAIGHT AXLE FRONT END SUSPENSION TRUCKS HAVE GIVEN MANY YEARS OF SERVICE WITH NO ISSUES; THE TAK4 IS NOT RELIABLE IN COMPARISON. THERE HAVE BEEN TRUCKS WITH WHEEL OFF EVENTS AND TRUCKS THAT DRIVERS REPORT NOT FEELING IN CONTROL OF. THESE BALL JOINT RECALLS SHOULD BE LED BY THE NHTSA.