MIAMI, Fla. A Miami-based operator, Endeavor Bus Lines, has reopened a long-festering industry wound caused by repeated breakdowns of motorcoaches equipped with late-model Caterpillar engines.

Endeavor filed a lawsuit here, alleging Cat built and sold hundreds of faulty engines that often failed in service, resulting in significant towing, repair and passenger compensation costs.

The suit, initially filed in a state court, now resides in a Miami federal district court, and Endeavor is seeking class-action status on behalf of operators that purchased Cat-powered coaches and suffered similar breakdowns.

At the heart of the suit -- and the industrys bad experience -- are 2007/09-model Caterpillar C13 engines that developed all sorts of mechanical problems that often resulted in on-the-highway breakdowns.

One Plains State operator with a large number of Cat-equipped coaches lost major accounts because his buses quit on the road once too often.

Another operator, Bill Pippin of Cowtown Bus Charters in Forest Hills, Texas, told Bus & Motorcoach News ten months ago that his No. 1 business challenge was dealing with defective Caterpillar engines he had in five of his coaches.

"Its cost me between $750,000 and $800,000 in repairs, down time and other expenses," Pippin said at the time.

Pippin, like other motorcoach operators and hundreds of truckers, had Cat engines that ran too hot, damaged parts and ended up in the garage regularly.

Frequently, Cat-powered motorcoaches have been parked for weeks (sometimes months) at dealerships waiting for repairs, parts, or both, or for warranty disputes to be resolved.

Lawsuits by the truckload

Dozens of lawsuits, mostly involving scores of trucking companies, have been filed against Caterpillar over the engine problems.

Cat distributors, dealers and suppliers also have been named defendants in most of the suits, all of which seek awards to cover damages and revenue losses resulting from engine failures.

Although Cat C13 engines were installed in dozens of 2007-09 motorcoaches, bus operators seemingly have been reluctant to sue Cat, seeking settlements instead.

At least one operator is known to have settled with the engine builder, but under the terms of the settlement the operator is not allowed to acknowledge that it even had a dispute, much less that there was a settlement.

An effort about two years ago by one attorney to turn one of the lawsuits into a class action failed to draw any motorcoach operators.

Still, a number of operators that have coaches with Cat engines have complained among themselves and to others in the industry about frequent breakdowns, and some still consider legal action as a possibility.

Caterpillar, which is based in Peoria, Ill., did not return telephone calls or respond to e-mails seeking comment on the engines and lawsuits.

Cat system fails

The complaints about the engines have specifically focused on the technology, called ACERT, Caterpillar used to meet 2007 emission standards that were mandated by the federal Environmental Protection Agency for on-highway commercial trucks and buses.

One major problem was with the regeneration system thats designed to burn off or oxidize the soot in the diesel particulate filter, a device engine makers developed to reduce emission levels enough to meet the tougher standards that took effect in 2007.

When the system malfunctions, the engine shuts down, often stranding the vehicle on the highway until repairs are made.

Cat has issued any number of software fixes aimed at correcting the "re-gen" problem. Truckers have complained that the fixes were as numerous as they were ineffective.

There also have been problems with valve actuators, broken valve springs and premature bearing failure.

Many of the truckers who sued complained nearly as much about Cat "walking away from the problem" as the engine issues themselves.

Caterpillar, which reportedly used its ACERT technology in about 20,000 15-liter engines and an unknown number of 13-liter engines, quit the on-highway bus and truck market in 2009, just ahead of the USEPA mandate that 2010 engines meet even stricter pollution control requirements.

Beyond breakdowns

The problem with Cat engines have manifested and metastasized themselves in ways that go beyond breakdowns, service frustration, expensive repair bills, and unhappy customers.

For example, it has severely impacted the resale value of Cat-equipped coaches.

A Cat-powered coach has a resale or trade-in value, if you can get someone to take it in trade or buy it, of typically $50,000-$70,000 less than a comparable coach with a Cummins engine.

The problem also has given birth to a practice that had largely disappeared from the motorcoach industry repowers using a different brand engine.

One solution: Engine swap

In fact, a cottage industry of sorts has sprung up to swap out Cat engines and replace them, typically, with rebuilt Detroit Diesel engines.

ABC Companies, which sold a ton of Van Hools equipped with Cat engines, may have been the first major motorcoach industry player to launch what it calls a "specialized power train replacement program" that swaps Cat engines for factory remanufactured Reliabilt Detroit Diesel Series 60 EGR engines.

ABCs Cat engine "Quick Change Program" was introduced eight months ago for Van Hool C2045 models, and upwards of two dozen have been changed out.

"Were able to replace an obsolete power train with factory rebuilt units and offer a two-year warranty at a very reasonable price," says ABC Senior Vice President Lee Loper. "We even offer extended warranties."

MCI operates a similar engine swapping program at its Loudonville, Ohio, Repair and Reconditioning Center.

Endeavors complaints

In its court filing, Endeavor said it purchased six coaches with Cat C13 engines that were faulty and repeatedly broke down.

"The class representatives and members of the putative class have suffered substantial financial losses and other damages as a result of the defendant's actions and the defective engines," says the Endeavor complaint.

The suit says Cats ACERT emissions system is particularly vulnerable to failure, including clogging and repeated triggering of check engine lights. Caterpillar has attempted to repair the engines numerous times, each time leading Endeavor to believe the problem was corrected, but the company continues to experience problems with the engines, according to the suit.

The suit accuses Cat of breach of express and implied warranty, violation of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, negligence, and strict liability.

Two other operators reportedly have joined Endeavor in the suit.