2007 PIERCE IMPEL Steering Problems

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...

3/7/15, THIS FIRE TRUCK HAD STEERING ISSUES. THE CREW WAS RETURNING FROM A FIRE CALL. THE CREW CALLED THE ON-CALL TECHNICIAN AND REPORTED THE TRUCK WAS HARD TO DRIVE, HARD TO CONTROL, AND NOT SAFE. THE TECHNICIAN TEST DROVE AND AGREED WITH THE DRIVER. THE ILL STEERING TRUCK WAS TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE. (HISTORY WITH THIS TRUCK, BALL JOINTS WERE INSPECTED ON MONTH PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. THE BALL JOINTS WERE INSPECTED WITH A PIERCE TECHNICIAN, IT WAS FOUND THAT TWO BALL JOINTS WERE JUST OUT OF SPEC. THE TRUCK WAS LEFT IN SERVICE AFTER DISCUSSING THE FINDINGS WITH THE PIERCE TECH. HE FELT THAT IT NEEDS TO BE SCHEDULED FOR REPLACEMENT, BUT WERE NOT BAD ENOUGH THAT THE BALL JOINT WOULD FAIL AND COME APART. WE ALREADY HAD TWO TRUCKS OUT OF SERVICE WITH FAILED BALL JOINTS. IF WE DID NOT HAVE THE TWO TRUCKS OUT OF SERVICE, WE...

THE DRIVER OF THE FIRE TRUCK REPORTED THAT THE TRUCK WAS NOT STEERING CORRECTLY DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THE TRUCK WAS BROUGHT TO MARTIN COUNTY FIRE RESCUE FLEET SERVICES SHOP. IT WAS CONFIRMED THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE TAK4 STEERING SYSTEM, BALL JOINTS. THE BALL JOINTS WERE REMOVED FROM THE TRUCK AND FOUND THAT THE BALL JOINT LUBE FOR LIFE COATING WAS BREAKING AWAY FROM THE BALL JOINT CAPS, THERE WAS EXCESSIVE PLAY IN THE BALL JOINT, GOUGES IN THE METAL ON THE BALL JOINT, AND ONE BALL JOINT WAS TURNING INSIDE THE CONTROL ARM INSTEAD OF ITS OWN CUP. THIS TRUCK HAD BALL JOINT ISSUES AT THE DATE OF DELIVERY AND HAS HAD TIRE WEAR ISSUES THE ENTIRE TIME IT HAS BEEN IS SERVICE. MULTIPLE REPORTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE PIERCE DEALER AND PIERCE FIRE TRUCK CORPORATION IN REFERENCE TO OUR FOUR IMPEL TRUCK'S TIRE WEAR AND...