The worst 1997 Orion Vi 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
Equipment adaptive/mobility
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 10V538000 · Recall details
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
Steering: linkages: knuckle: spindle: arm
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: low-floor transit buses equipped with a cast steel steering relay arm. The steering arms can fail without warning.
- Risk
- This condition can leave the bus with no steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace these steering arms.
Recall number 98V331000 · Recall details
Unknown or other
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: transit buses equipped with wheel chair barriers. The wheel chair barriers are attached to the floor structure with a bolt threaded into the floor structure. In the case of a frontal crash, with the wheel chair position occupied, the bolt threads could strip allowing movement of the wheel chair barrier.
- Risk
- This condition could allow movement of the wheel chair which could cause personal injury, or death, to the wheel chair occupant.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the existing wheel chair barrier leg mounting bolts with new bolts, nuts and washers.
Recall number 98V210000 · Recall details
Suspension: front
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: transit buses built with zf front axles equipped with lucas disc brakes. The brake lever connecting the brake chamber pushrod to the disc brake actuator can contact the air bag support gusset during application of the brakes and become jammed and will not release the brake when the driver removes their foot from the brake pedal.
- Risk
- Since this is a steering axle, unwanted application of the brake can cause the vehicle to turn in the direction of the locked wheel increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will rework the brake levers on the subject buses.
Recall number 98V166000 · Recall details
Steering: linkages
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: low floor transit buses. Due to machining and casting variances, two of the steering relay arms on these vehicles can fracture.
- Risk
- Failure of the steering arm leaves the bus with no steering control increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace these steering arms.
Recall number 97V129000 · Recall details
See all 6 recalls for the 1997 Orion Vi
Defect investigations
Hydraulic Auxiliary Pump Fitting Failure
ODI became aware of a fire involving a Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA) bus.A WMATA contracted vehicle inspection identified the failure of a tapped hydraulic fitting to have caused the fire. Orion VI buses were built from 1994 to 2002.This investigation is specific to 1995, 1997-2000 production.Daimler Bus informed ODI that 1994 & 1996 model year buses were either prototypes or sold only in Canada; buses built after 2000 had a tee fitting in lieu of the tapped fitting in question.On October 20, 2010 Daimler Bus informed ODI that an internal meeting was planned to discuss the same concern as the one that prompted this investigation.ODI agreed to delay formally requesting information; an IR letter was to be mailed on November 9, 2010 if needed. On November 2, 2010 ODI received a 573 Defect Report (Recall 10V‑538) that addresses the concerns of this investigation.This investigation will be closed.There is no associated IR letter.A copy of the defect report is attached.
PE10041
Compare the 1997 Orion Vi
Other model years
Questions about the 1997 Orion Vi
Is the 1997 Orion Vi reliable?
Owners have filed 0 complaints about the 1997 Orion Vi.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Orion Vi?
There are not enough complaints to tell.
How many recalls does the 1997 Orion Vi have?
6 recalls, covering equipment adaptive/mobility, visibility and steering.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 1997 Orion Vi?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history