The worst 1997 Orion II problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
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Recalls 3
Visibility: glass, side/rear
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 03V120000 · Recall details
Electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: transit buses equipped with challenger 2000 model 170 series alternators. The positive power stud may not be properly seated in place causing a loose connection. This loose connection causes an over-heat condition when the alternator is under a load. Also the material used to insulate the power stud from the rectifier can tear and cause the positive power stud to ground to the alternator case.
- Risk
- The alternator can get hot enough to catch fire which could spread to other areas of the vehicle.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace these alternators.
Recall number 98V189000 · Recall details
Fuel system, other: storage: tank assembly: filling/charging
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: compressed natural gas (cng) powered transit buses. The solenoid valve or check valve could allow cng to flow when not required.
- Risk
- If an ignition source was present, there is a potential for a fire and/or explosion.
- Remedy
- Personnel will go to owners and replace the change out of the recalled solenoid valves.
Recall number 97V207000 · Recall details
See all 3 recalls for the 1997 Orion II
Defect investigations
Battery cable abrading transmission hose
Orion's service bulletin (not dated) points out that missing wire/cable cleats were responsible for a bus fire.the service bulletin recommends all buses be inspected to insure that cables are properly routed and secure.after analyses of the data obtained, two failure modes were identified that caused the fires on these buses.this was evident by fire patterns and location of the fire damage.orion bus concurred and concluded its investigation by identifying safety recalls.they have filed separate safety defect reports and have begun repairing the involved buses.no further use of the agency resources appear warranted at this time.the agency reserves the right to take further action on these matters, if warranted by the circumstaces.this investigation is closed.
SQ98013
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Questions about the 1997 Orion II
Is the 1997 Orion II reliable?
Owners have filed 0 complaints about the 1997 Orion II.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Orion II?
There are not enough complaints to tell.
How many recalls does the 1997 Orion II have?
3 recalls, covering visibility, electrical system and fuel system, other.
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