The problem
Certain girardin my 2002 through 2005 mb ii & mb iv school buses manufactured between january 1, 2002, and august 8, 2005, and equipped with "5" series stop arms manufactured by specialty manufacturing company. In extremely cold weather, the microswitches used internally to position the sign in the open and closed positions may malfunction, causing the sign to open or close in an improper position, or to not open at all.
The risk
Should the stop arm not perform properly, a child or pedestrian may be endangered by passing vehicles should the motorist not stop at the correct location.
The fix
Girardin will notify owners and replace the original switch with a switch pack that is not sensitive to extreme cold weather and will inspect to ensure the microswitch heater wiring is properly connected free of charge. The recall began on august 22, 2005. Owners may contact girardin at 1-800-951-7867.
Contacts
Girardin recall no. 05-010-Sau. Customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236; (tty:1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.Safercar.Gov.
What to do
- Check your VIN. Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls - it shows whether this recall applies to your vehicle and whether the repair has been done.
- Call a dealer. Any authorized Girardin dealer will do the repair free, whether or not you bought the vehicle there. Quote campaign 05V352000.
- Ask about parts and a loaner. If parts aren't available yet, ask what to do in the meantime.
- Keep your paperwork. If you paid for this repair before the recall, you may be able to get reimbursed - here's how.