February 1, 2010

This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

Ricon has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in the Ricon wheelchair lift installed in your vehicle.

!  I M P O R T A N T !

- Ricon Wheelchair Lift is being recalled
- Contact Ricon Corporation immediately

WHAT IS BEING RECALLED:

This recall applies to all Ricon DOT Public Use, “L-model” S and K Series wheelchair lifts manufactured between October 2007 to December 18, 2009, with serial numbers in the range between 227703 and 252585. The model designation can be identified as follows:

DOT Public Use - SXXXX-LXXXXXXXX
DOT Public Use - KXXXX-LXXXXXXXX

WHY IS IT BEING RECALLED:

As with all other Ricon lifts, this lift was designed to stop automatically when the operator runs it from the ground level to the vehicle floor level, as long as the operator continues to depress the “UP” button until the lift stops on its own.  If, however, the operator releases the “UP” button while the lift is still moving, the lift may continue to move and eventually initiate stowage, which could tilt the platform prematurely.  Though this condition is remote, operating the lift in a manner other than specified in the instructions can be considered a form of misuse that is foreseeable.  Accordingly, we are designing a software solution, which we expect will be available soon.  In most cases, this solution, will involve a simple, remote software upload process that will be handled by the nearest authorized Ricon agent, and should take just a few minutes.   This situation could cause personal injury.

WHAT VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS MUST DO:

According to our records, affected units were purchased by your company.  If those units were installed as original equipment on vehicles manufactured at your facility, and you agree that they contain a safety defect, your company must notify the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) within 5 business days and conduct a safety recall of those vehicles.  It is critical that the NHTSA guidelines are followed in a timely manner and that your customers are notified of the safety defect in the Ricon DOT Public Use, “L-model” so they may inform and train operators on the proper use of the equipment.  You may contact the NHTSA with questions by sending an email to rmd.odi@dot.gov.   

To help you comply with your obligation to issue a safety recall of the vehicles that contain an affected Ricon DOT Public Use, “L-model”, we have attached samples of a dealer service bulletin and a sample letter to owners of potentially affected vehicles, along with a corresponding owner reply form, which should facilitate your notification to dealers and owners of the recall and the required repairs and service procedures.  Although we have provided these samples to you for your convenience, you must submit drafts of your version of these notices to NHTSA for approval at least 5 days prior to mailing such notification to dealers and owners of potentially affected Ricon DOT Public Use, “L-model”.

Notification to dealers and distributors must be made by verifiable means such as certified mail, verifiable electronic means such as receipts or logs from electronic mail or satellite distribution systems, or other more expeditious and verifiable means. Notifications to owners of potentially affected vehicles are by first class mail. Please be advised that the outside of each envelope containing an owner notification letter must be marked “SAFETY RECALL NOTICE” all in capital letters, either in boldface or underlined, and in type that is larger than used in the address section. A sample of the envelope must be submitted to NHTSA for approval at least 5 business days before mailing to owners.

IMPORTANT: Some of the vehicles affected may still be in your inventory.  Federal law requires you to complete the recall service on these vehicles before delivery.  Ricon will provide replacement or repair for these units prior to delivery to your customers.

Ricon is prepared to assist you with all the materials, the mailings and reporting requirements of this recall.  Daniel Mata, Ricon’s Recall Coordinator will assist you with anything you may require. He can be reached through Ricon Customer Service at (800)322-2884, Ext 3374, or by email, at www.DMata@wabtec.com

WHAT RICON CORPORATION WILL DO:

Ricon will provide your customers a bulletin outlining proper wheelchair lift operation and will ship them a DVD-based training aid to promote proper lift operation. When the software solution is available, your customers will once again be notified by Ricon so that they may take their vehicle to their nearest servicing Ricon dealer for the software update.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.  If you have any questions concerning these procedures please contact Ricon Customer Service at (800)322-2884, extension 3374 to speak to our Recall Coordinator, Daniel Mata, or by email at DMata@wabtec.com.

We apologize for any inconvenience this safety recall may cause, but your safety is our first concern.