1999 Orion VI
The 1999 Orion VI appears in 3 NHTSA recall campaigns (equipment adaptive/mobility, visibility and electrical system) and in 1 consumer complaint filed with the agency.
The component named most often is engine and engine cooling: 1,000 of every 1,000 component mentions for this year, above the 121.3 per 1,000 across all 1999 model-year vehicles and against 200 per 1,000 for the Orion VI line as a whole.
That is more than the average of 0.4 complaints per model year across the 11 Orion VI model years on this register; 0 complaints reported a crash and 1 a fire.
Complaints were received in the largest number in 2004 (1); the most recent in the file is dated 13 Oct 2004.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation has opened 1 investigation naming this model year.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 29 Sep 2026.
Recalls by model year:
Recall campaigns
Defect, as filed: 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: Hydraulic fluids leaking into the engine compartment can be ignited by the hot turbocharger and cause an engine fire.
Remedy: 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.
Filed by DAIMLER BUSES NORTH AMERICA, INC..
Defect, as filed: 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 event of a crash, an occupant may have difficulty opening the emergency exit window, increasing the risk of personal injury or death.
Remedy: 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.
Filed by ORION BUS INDUSTRIES, INC..
Defect, as filed: 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.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: Orion will notify owners to inspect their buses for certain equalizers by the date code. The affected equalizers will be replaced by vanner. 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.
Filed by FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION.
Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
Component mentions per 1,000 for the 1999 Orion VI (black) against all 1999 model-year vehicles in the file (yellow). A complaint can name more than one component.
| Per 1,000 component mentions | 1999 | VI line | All 1999 vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1,000 | 200 | 121.3 |
| Component | Mentions | Per 1,000 | Line | All 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 1,000 | 200 | 121.3 |
1 unique complaints, 1 component mentions; 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported by complainants. Complaint narratives are not republished.
Complaints by year received
Investigations
| Action | Type | Subject | Component | Opened | Closed | Recall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PE10041 | Preliminary evaluation | Hydraulic Auxiliary Pump Fitting Failure | equipment adaptive/mobility | 20 Oct 2010 | 9 Nov 2010 | 10V538000 |
Other Orion VI model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 4 | 0 | 5,412 |
| 1996 | 7 | 0 | 5,077 |
| 1997 | 6 | 0 | 5,202 |
| 1998 | 8 | 0 | 6,634 |
| 1999 | 3 | 1 | 5,335 |
| 2000 | 3 | 3 | 5,335 |
| 2001 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 4,191 |
| 2002 | 3 | 0 | 1,247 |
| 2003 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 405 |
| 2004 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 405 |
| 2005 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 405 |
Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.
All Orion VI model years · Orion: 6 model lines
Questions and answers
How many recalls does the 1999 Orion VI have?
3 NHTSA recall campaigns name this model year; the most recent, 10V538000, was reported to NHTSA on 2 Nov 2010 and concerns equipment adaptive/mobility. Across all model years the Orion VI line has 15 campaigns.
Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 1999 Orion VI?
NHTSA's investigation file lists 1 action naming this model year; the table above shows each action's opening and closing dates. An action with no closing date was still open when the file was produced.
What component do owners of the 1999 Orion VI complain about most?
Engine and Engine Cooling: 1 of 1 component mentions (1,000 per 1,000). Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
How do I get a recall repaired?
NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 29 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 29 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.