1997 Orion VI: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 1997 Orion VI. The newest campaign is 10V538000. NHTSA received the report on 2 Nov 2010. The NHTSA record gives the component Equipment Adaptive/Mobility. NHTSA has no complaint on file for this model year. 1 NHTSA investigation names this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 10V538000, in the NHTSA record

Bus owners will be instructed on how to repair the buses free of charge. The safety recall began on 3, december 2010. Owners may contact daimler buses at 1-800-716-7566.

NHTSA VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on 1 Oct 2026. Complaint file through 29 Mar 2018. Recall file through 30 Sep 2026.

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

6 campaigns, newest first. 5,202 units in total.

10V5380002 Nov 2010Equipment Adaptive/Mobility
03V12000027 Mar 2003Visibility / Glass, Side/Rear
98V33100022 Dec 1998Steering / Linkages / Knuckle / Spindle / Arm
98V21000021 Sep 1998Unknown or Other
98V16600020 Jul 1998Suspension / Front
97V12900028 Aug 1997Steering / Linkages

10V538000Received 2 Nov 2010. 217 units.
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Daimler bus is recalling certain model year 1995 through 2000 transit buses manufactured from january 1996 through december 2000. These buses are configured with a tapped fitting for the hydraulic wheelchair ramp. In the engine compartment connected to the hydraulic pump is a fitting with an adapter for the wheelchair ramp operation. The fitting can crack and cause hydraulic fluid to leak into the engine compartment.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Hydraulic fluids leaking into the engine compartment can be ignited by the hot turbocharger and cause an engine fire.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Bus owners will be instructed on how to repair the buses free of charge. The safety recall began on 3, december 2010. Owners may contact daimler buses at 1-800-716-7566.
Report filed by DAIMLER BUSES NORTH AMERICA, INC.. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 3 Dec 2011.
03V120000Received 27 Mar 2003. 4,191 units.
Visibility / Glass, Side/Rear
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Certain transit buses fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 217, "bus emergency exits and window retention and release." the handle pull force exceeds the 89n force to release the emergency window. Additional force is required to release the window.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
In the event of a crash, an occupant may have difficulty opening the emergency exit window, increasing the risk of personal injury or death.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will repair these windows. Owner notification began june 1, 2003. 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 orion at 1-800-492-2116.
Report filed by ORION BUS INDUSTRIES, INC.. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 2 Jun 2003.
98V331000Received 22 Dec 1998. 20 units.
Steering / Linkages / Knuckle / Spindle / Arm
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Vehicle description: low-floor transit buses equipped with a cast steel steering relay arm. The steering arms can fail without warning.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
This condition can leave the bus with no steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will replace these steering arms.
Report filed by ORION BUS INDUSTRIES, INC.. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 22 Dec 1998.
98V210000Received 21 Sep 1998. 723 units.
Unknown or Other
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Vehicle description: transit buses equipped with wheel chair barriers. The wheel chair barriers are attached to the floor structure with a bolt threaded into the floor structure. In the case of a frontal crash, with the wheel chair position occupied, the bolt threads could strip allowing movement of the wheel chair barrier.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
This condition could allow movement of the wheel chair which could cause personal injury, or death, to the wheel chair occupant.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will replace the existing wheel chair barrier leg mounting bolts with new bolts, nuts and washers.
Report filed by ORION BUS INDUSTRIES, INC.. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 5 Oct 1998.
98V166000Received 20 Jul 1998. 31 units.
Suspension / Front
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Vehicle description: transit buses built with zf front axles equipped with lucas disc brakes. The brake lever connecting the brake chamber pushrod to the disc brake actuator can contact the air bag support gusset during application of the brakes and become jammed and will not release the brake when the driver removes their foot from the brake pedal.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Since this is a steering axle, unwanted application of the brake can cause the vehicle to turn in the direction of the locked wheel increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will rework the brake levers on the subject buses.
Report filed by ORION BUS INDUSTRIES, INC.. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 24 Aug 1998.
97V129000Received 28 Aug 1997. 20 units.
Steering / Linkages
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Vehicle description: low floor transit buses. Due to machining and casting variances, two of the steering relay arms on these vehicles can fracture.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Failure of the steering arm leaves the bus with no steering control increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will replace these steering arms.
Report filed by ORION BUS INDUSTRIES, INC.. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 2 Sep 1997.

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

The NHTSA complaint file has no complaint for this model year.

Investigations

NHTSA investigations that name the 1997 Orion VI
Number	Type	Subject	Component	Opened	Closed	Campaign
PE10041	Preliminary evaluation	Hydraulic Auxiliary Pump Fitting Failure	Equipment Adaptive/Mobility	20 Oct 2010	9 Nov 2010	10V538000

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

19954
19967
19976
19988
19993
20003
20011
20023
20031
20041
20051

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

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Official channels

NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
NHTSA page of the 1997 Orion VIThe recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.

Cite this page

Recall Register. 1997 Orion VI: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/orion/vi/1997/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through 30 Sep 2026.

Sources

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence: US government work, public domain
Recall file through: 30 Sep 2026
Complaint file through: 29 Mar 2018
First complaint in the file: 1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file: DAIMLER BUSES NORTH AMERICA, INC.

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 1997 Orion VI?: 5,202 units in 6 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the Orion VI have for all model years?: NHTSA lists 15 recall campaigns for the Orion VI, model years 1995 to 2005. 6 of them name the 1997 model year.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 1997 Orion VI open?: No. The 1 investigation that names this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.