2013 Glaval Universal: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2013 Glaval Universal
No owner has filed a defect report with NHTSA about the 2013 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 2013 model year
NHTSA has issued 3 recall campaigns covering the 2013 Glaval Universal, affecting an estimated 152 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 adaptive/mobility, electrical system:alternator/generator/regulator and equipment. 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 ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
828 vehicles 2014-09-26- Defect
- Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain model year 2006-2014 Glaval Universal, Primetime, Sport, Titan, and Titan II transit and shuttle buses manufactured January 1, 2006, to September 26, 2014, and equipped with certain model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505, and S5510 wheelchair lifts manufactured by Ricon. The platform side plate of the affected wheelchair lifts may crack.
- Consequence
- If the platform side plates crack, the lift platform can separate from the lift and come to rest against the vehicle's lift door. When the doors are opened, the platform may fall out, increasing the risk of injury to the lift operator.
- Remedy
- Forest River will notify owners to take buses to a Ricon dealer or service center who will install supplemental platform support bumpers. Any platform that has already started cracking will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2014. Owners may contact Glaval customer service at 1-800-445-2825 or Ricon customer service at 1-800-322-2884.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
467 vehicles 2014-01-08- Defect
- Glaval Bus is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Universal, Entourage, Concorde II, Titan, Titan II and Legacy transit buses manufactured June 1, 2010, through June 30, 2013, and equipped with a Ford 5.4L or 6.8L engine and a Trans/Air-brand air conditioner. In the affected vehicles, depending on the routing of the alternator harness, and the orientation of the heater hose spring clamp at the front of the intake manifold, the alternator harness may be pinched between the spring clamp and the air conditioner compressor mounting bracket.
- Consequence
- The charging system may fail which could lead to the vehicle stalling while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, the spring clamp could pierce both the positive and negative wires of the alternator harness creating a short circuit which could result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Glaval Bus will notify owners, and Trans/Air dealers will inspect the vehicles, correct the clamp installation and repair and reroute the alternator harness, as needed, free of charge. The recall began on January 22, 2014. Customers may contact Glaval at 1-574-262-2212.
EQUIPMENT
3,705 vehicles 2013-07-15- Defect
- Glaval Bus is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Universal, Concorde II, Entourage, Primetime, Titan II, Apollo, and Sport buses, certain model year 2011-2013 Titan II lf and Legacy buses and certain model year 2010 Synergy buses. The affected buses are equipped with a rear interior air conditioner evaporator which may come loose from its ceiling mounting over time.
- Consequence
- The evaporator unit may detach from the ceiling and fall increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Glaval will notify owners, and dealers will tighten and replace the air conditioner evaporator mounting bolts, as needed, free of charge. The recall began on July 8, 2013. Owners may contact Glaval at 1-800-445-2825 or glavalcustomerservice@forestriverinc.com.
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