- The problem
- On certain transit buses equipped with detroit diesel series 40 engines, the turbocharger can fail allowing lubricating oil to spill onto the engine.
- The risk
- This can result in a fire in the engine compartment.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect and replace the turbocharger to prevent the possibility of an engine compartment fire. Detroit diesel is conducting owner notification and remedy for this campaign. Gillig issued a renotification letter to owners on february 27, 2007. Owners should contact detroit detroit diesel at 313-5923708 or gillig at 510-785-1500.
Vehicle safety record
1998 Gillig Phantom Problems, complaints & recalls
No owner complaints about the 1998 Gillig Phantom have been filed with NHTSA. It is covered by 6 recalls, the latest in October 2004 for the turbo / supercharger.
NHTSA data checked
FFar more problems than a typical Phantom year, for its age
- Complaints
- 0
- Recalls
- 6
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Deaths
- 0
1998 Gillig Phantom recalls 6
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- On certain transit buses manufactured with detroit diesel series 50 engine, the turbocharger compressor wheel can break, resulting in shaft imbalance and lubricating oil passes into the exhaust system.
- The risk
- This can result in an engine compartment fire, possibly resulting in personal injuries.
- The fix
- Detroit diesel is conducting the owner notification and remedy for this campaign. Dealers will install an exhaust temperature sensor and reprogram the emc calibration. Gillig issued a renotification letter to owners on february 27, 2007. Owners should contact detroit diesel at 313-592-3708 or gillig at 510-785-1500.
- The problem
- On certain buses equipped with cummins electronic control modules on the c8.3G and l10g engines, the ecm does not have the ability to detect a throttle fail-safe engine shutdown command. This could result in an unanticipated, uncommanded open throttle condition without warning.
- The risk
- If this event occurs, the vehicle operator will not have control of the engine speed, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
- The fix
- Cummins will notify the customers and replace the ecm. Owners should contact cummins at 1-800-343-7357 or gillig at 510-785-1500.
- The problem
- On certain transit buses equipped with adhesively bonded aluminum bus door panels, due to an imperfect bonding of the door panel skin to the panel frame, environmental moisture may infiltrate regions of imperfect bonding and cause separation of the frame and door panel.
- The risk
- Under these conditions, if the panel is separating or has separated, a passenger could fall from the bus onto the roadway, possibly resulting in personal injury or death.
- The fix
- Vapor will notify customers to have their buses inspected and will install mechanical fasteners to attach the skins to the frame elements free of charge. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact vapor corporation at 847-967-8300 or vapor at 1510-785-1500.
- The problem
- On certain transit buses equipped with vanner 60 series battery equalizers, the equalizer could fail to operate properly and cause malfunction of the battery charging system.
- The risk
- Without fusing, the equalizer may melt, burn, or smoke, possibly resulting in a fire or a smoke filled bus, thus necessitating a passenger evacuation of the bus. The failure mode can cause operator distraction, and/or possible personal injury.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect the buses for certain equalizers by the date code. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact gillig at 1-510-785-1500 or vanner at 1-800-227-6937.
- The problem
- Vehicle description: transit buses equipped with vanner 60 series battery equalizers. The equalizer could fail to operate properly and cause malfunction of the battery charging system.
- The risk
- Without fusing, the equalizer may melt, burn, or smoke, possibly resulting in a fire or a smoke filled bus, thus necessitating a passenger evacuation of the bus. The failure mode can cause operator distraction, and/or possible personal injury.
- The fix
- Vanner will notify owners to inspect their buses for certain equalizers by the date code. The affected equalizers will be replaced. Vanner is conducting the owner notification for this campaign and was expected to begin during march 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact vanner at 1-800-227-6937.
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No complaints about the 1998 Gillig Phantom yet
No owner has filed a complaint about this vehicle with NHTSA. If yours has a problem, share it here and report it to NHTSA.
Gillig Phantom: every year compared
All Phantom yearsQuestions about the 1998 Gillig Phantom
Does the 1998 Gillig Phantom have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 6 recalls for the 1998 Gillig Phantom: turbo / supercharger (October 2004); turbo / supercharger (September 2004); vehicle speed control (April 2004); door (March 2002) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
How many complaints has the 1998 Gillig Phantom had?
None have been filed with NHTSA so far.
Is the 1998 Gillig Phantom a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 16 out of 100 (grade F: far more problems than a typical Gillig Phantom year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
What should I do if my 1998 Gillig Phantom has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data