Modified Ford Paratransit Vans Recalled

MobilityWorks, a national provider of wheelchair-accessible vans, is notifying the owners of 667 modified Ford vans that the installed wheelchair lifts in their vehicles may have faulty parts in need of replacement.

The safety recall covers 2006-2014 model-year Ford E-150, E-250 and E-350 vans that MobilityWorks modified to equip with a model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505 or S5510 wheelchair lift manufactured by Ricon Corp.

The affected lifts have folding link arms that may have oversized pivot holes, allowing the bearings to move out of position, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. As a result, the stowed platform may move excessively and lead to failure of the platform mounting.

This failure could cause the wheelchair lift platform to fall out of the vehicle when the doors are opened, increasing the risk of injury for the lift operator, NHTSA said.

Ricon dealers will inspect the link arms for damage and for displaced bearings. The platform will be inspected for cracks. Any damaged parts will be replaced, free of charge.

Van owners can reach MobilityWorks customer service at (800) 769-8267, or Ricon customer service at (800) 322-2884.

These vehicles and wheelchair lifts were subject to a similar recall in 2014, NHTSA said, but all vehicles that received that recall remedy are still affected by this new recall.

Originally posted on Automotive Fleet