The worst 1997 Gillig Low Floor problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
Recalls 6
Exterior lighting: turn signal
- What is wrong
- Gillig LLC (Gillig) is recalling certain model year 1997-2017 Low Floor transit buses. The front turn signals installed on standard profile (non-BRT) buses may not be sufficiently visible to other drivers or pedestrians. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
- Risk
- The reduced visibility of the turn signals may increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Gillig will notify owners, and dealers will install turn signals that have increased visibility. The recall began June 7, 2019. Owners may contact Gillig customer service at 1‑510‑264‑5073 or 1‑800‑735‑1500.
Recall number 17V119000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine: other fuel types: turbo/supercharger
- What is wrong
- On certain transit buses equipped with detroit diesel series 40 engines, the turbocharger can fail allowing lubricating oil to spill onto the engine.
- Risk
- This can result in a fire in the engine compartment.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the turbocharger to prevent the possibility of an engine compartment fire. Detroit diesel is conducting owner notification and remedy for this campaign. Gillig issued a renotification letter to owners on february 27, 2007. Owners should contact detroit detroit diesel at 313-5923708 or gillig at 510‑785‑1500.
Recall number 04V486000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring: front underhood
- What is wrong
- Incorrect assembly of electrical connections and securement in the engine compartment could come loose.
- Risk
- Incorrect assembly could cause electrical shorts, arcing, and fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect engine compartment wiring for correct cable assembly, fastner torque, and correct wire protection. Owner notification began october 29, 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 gillig at 510‑785‑1500.
Recall number 03V392000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- On certain low floor 29', 35' and 40' buses, the engine compartment insulation could fatigue and sag, potentially touching the turbocharger.
- Risk
- This could potentially lead to a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- Gillig is providing the owners with new insulation and installation procedures. The new insulation is to be installed on the inside side surface of the access hatch and a mechanical retaining strip to support the adjacent insulation. The retaining strip is attached with nuts and bolts. Owner notification began december 19, 2002. 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 gillig at 1‑800‑735‑1500.
Recall number 02V325000 · Recall details
Steering: gear box (other than rack and pinion)
- What is wrong
- On certain low floor 29, 35, and 40 foot buses, the steering gear input shaft bolt installed was a 3/8" diameter coarse thread grade 8 fastener instead of the required 7/16" diameter fine thread grade 8 fastener.
- Risk
- In the event of a crash or some other extraordinary shock load on the steering, a loss of steering could occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the suspect fastener with the correct fastener. Owner notification began august 6, 2002. 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 gillig at 1‑510‑785‑1500.
Recall number 02V189000 · Recall details
Structure: body: door
- What is wrong
- On certain transit buses equipped with adhesively bonded aluminum bus door panels, due to an imperfect bonding of the door panel skin to the panel frame, environmental moisture may infiltrate regions of imperfect bonding and cause separation of the frame and door panel.
- Risk
- Under these conditions, if the panel is separating or has separated, a passenger could fall from the bus onto the roadway, possibly resulting in personal injury or death.
- Remedy
- Vapor will notify customers to have their buses inspected and will install mechanical fasteners to attach the skins to the frame elements free of charge. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact vapor corporation at 847‑967‑8300 or vapor at 1510-785-1500.
Recall number 02V059004 · Recall details
See all 6 recalls for the 1997 Gillig Low Floor
Defect investigations
Engine compartment insulation sagging
On september 26, 2002, gillig issued a service bulletin (fs-2002-04)addressing the overhead insulation in the engine compartment that over time could sag and contact the hot surface of the engine turbocharger.this type failure could potentially lead to a vehicle fire.due to the agency's investigation into this matter, gillig has agreed to initiate a safety recall campaign and retrofit 2,108 buses with new insulation and retaining strips.the action taken by gillig is sufficient to resolve the issues raised by this investigation.a copy of the safety recall is attached.this investigation is closed.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
PE02090
Technical service bulletins for the 1997 Gillig Low Floor 14
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Because of a supply issue with the blue hose covering, Eaton is temporarily making FC-300 hose using black...
- A procedure to properly adjust the draglink so the socket won't over articulate, causing increased wear.
- It was found that an earlier Bulletin spec'd bolts that could be too long due to variances in bolt...
- Gillig has received reports of partial cracking in the steering gear mounting plate in some Low Floor buses
- This field service bulletin provides new information from borg warner (DELCO) revising the maintenance...
- This field service bulletin applies to all non-hybrid low floor buses with 480 volt HVAC systems
- This field service bulletin applies to all low floor buses with skf air dryers
- This field service bulletin applies to all low floor buses
- This field service bulletin applies to all low floor buses with aeroquip FC-300 coolant hoses
- This field service bulletin applies to all low floor buses with luminator or twin vision destination signs
Compare the 1997 Gillig Low Floor
Other model years
Questions about the 1997 Gillig Low Floor
Is the 1997 Gillig Low Floor reliable?
Owners have filed 0 complaints about the 1997 Gillig Low Floor.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Gillig Low Floor?
There are not enough complaints to tell.
How many recalls does the 1997 Gillig Low Floor have?
6 recalls, covering exterior lighting, engine and engine cooling and electrical system.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 1997 Gillig Low Floor?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history