2003 Glaval Universal: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2003 Glaval Universal
No owner has filed a defect report with NHTSA about the 2003 Glaval Universal. That is not a clean bill of health — it usually means few were sold, or the year is too new for problems to have surfaced.
Recalls on the 2003 model year
NHTSA has issued 4 recall campaigns covering the 2003 Glaval Universal, affecting an estimated 56 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover equipment, interior lighting, equipment adaptive/mobility and structure:body:door:hinge and attachments. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
EQUIPMENT
119 vehicles 2010-11-23- Defect
- Glaval is recalling certain model year 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, and 2008 ford e350/e450 universal, chevy/gmc 4500/5500 titan and freightliner mb-55 apollo transit buses manufactured from august 1999 through july 2007, and equipped with a trans/air ta73 evaporator. The evaporator utilizes a power resistor to regulate blower speed. Should a short occur in the "low or medium speed" circuit while the blower is in high speed, the short will cause the supply voltage to feedback through the resistor to ground, not drawing enough current to trip the fuse.
- Consequence
- This would cause the resistor temperature to rise to a point where it will melt and possibly ignite the plastic blower housing to which it is mounted. The overheating can result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Glaval in cooperation with trans air will install a thermal shutdown device in series with the speed resistors. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on december 23, 2010. Owners may contact trans air warranty and service center at 1-800-673-2446.
INTERIOR LIGHTING
161 vehicles 2009-10-28- Defect
- Glaval bus is recalling certain model year 2001 through 2009 transit buses equipped with luminator horizon LED side destination signs. The connector board can corrode due to an accumulation of moisture under the connector.
- Consequence
- A short could occur, possibly causing smoke and fire.
- Remedy
- Glaval bus will notify owners and luminator will repair the buses free of charge. Please see luminator's defect report 09e-054. The safety recall began on november 10, 2009. Owners may contact luminator at 1-972-516-3033 or glaval bus at 1-574-262-2212.
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
95 vehicles 2004-09-17- Defect
- On certain buses equipped with sure-lok wheelchair securement systems, the sprocket teeth of the retractor assembly is out of alignment.
- Consequence
- In the event of a vehicle crash, the wheelchair may not be adequately secured possibly resulting in injuries to the wheelchair occupant.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the wheelchair securement retractors as necessary. Sure-lok is conducting the owner notification and remedy for this campaign. Owners should contact sure-lock at 1-908-231-1804 or glaval bus at 1-800-445-2825.
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
129 vehicles 2003-11-04- Defect
- On certain transit buses, the entrance door pivot pin assembly can fail allowing the door to come loose.
- Consequence
- This could result in doors falling off the bus, causing possible injury to pedestrians close to the bus, damage to adjacent vehicles, or result in a crash.
- Remedy
- Owners will be provided with replacement pivot pins and installation instructions. Owner notification is expected to begin during november 2003. Owners should contact global at 1-800-445-2824.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
Every year of the Glaval Universal
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Why this page is short
A model year needs about 8 reports before percentiles mean anything, and this one does not have them. Complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road, so a thin page usually means a rare car, a new car, or a car whose owners do not file.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed