When your wheelchair van breaks down, it can feel like your whole day falls apart. One missed pickup can mean a senior misses dialysis in rural Saskatchewan, a child misses programming in Northern Ontario, or a First Nations community loses access to care for the week. That’s a lot of pressure for one fourgon accessible aux fauteuils roulants to carry. Many buyers worry that if they’re far from our facilities in Winnipeg or Mississauga, they’re out of luck. That fear makes sense. But that’s simply not how this works.
Au MoveMobility, Nous avons dépensé plus de 20 ans helping organizations reduce barriers to transportation and healthcare. In the last three years alone, we’ve built more than 480 wheelchair vans and 180 mobile medical units across Canada. We hold Ford Pro Upfitter and Stellantis QPro certifications, and every wheelchair accessible vehicle we build carries the Marque nationale de sécurité. We’ve worked with organizations like Société des femmes de Yellowknife, and we were recently recognized through the DARE Innovation Awards.
By the end of reading this article, we hope you’ll feel more confident in knowing exactly what to do if your wheelchair van ever does end up breaking down.
3 steps for wheelchair van breakdowns
Before you do anything else, take a breath and call us. When your wheelchair van breaks down, it can feel stressful fast, especially if you have clients waiting, appointments booked, or a long drive ahead of you. Our Customer Care team can help you figure out what is happening and point you in the right direction.
Call: 844-951-3808
Step 1: Call roadside assistance for your wheelchair van
Every wheelchair van we sell already comes with roadside assistance built into the chassis coverage.
If you have a RAM ProMaster wheelchair accessible van, you have roadside assistance through Stellantis.
If you have a Ford Transit wheelchair accessible vehicle, you have roadside assistance through Ford Canada.
Most people forget these programs are there until something goes wrong.
They can help with:
- Towing: To the nearest dealership if your wheelchair van cannot be driven.
- Battery boosts: Si votre battery dies in a parking lot.
- Flat tires: Help changing or repairing a tire.
- Lockouts: If keys are left inside the wheelchair accessible van.
- Fuel delivery: If you run out of gas.
- Winching: If you get stuck in snow or mud near a paved road.
That last one matters in Canada. A snowy parking lot in Northern Ontario or a muddy back road in rural Manitoba can stop your whole day quickly.
Both Ford and Stellantis roadside assistance run 24/7 across Canada for 5 years or 100,000 km.
- Ford Canada: 1-800-665-2006
- Stellantis / RAM ProMaster: 1-800-363-4869
Put those numbers in your phone and glove box now. Future you will thank you.
Step 2: Understand the difference between the wheelchair van chassis and conversion
Brevet en cours
After roadside assistance gets your wheelchair van moving again, the next step is figuring out what part of the vehicle actually has the problem.
This is where many people get confused.
Your wheelchair accessible van is really two vehicles in one:
- The chassis: Engine, transmission, brakes, suspension, steering, battery, heating, and factory vehicle systems.
- The conversion: Ramp, lift, lowered floor, wheelchair securement systems, accessibility equipment, lighting, and other added features.
These are separate systems, and they are serviced in different places.
If the problem is with the chassis side of the wheelchair van, such as the engine, brakes, suspension, or transmission, you can go to your nearest dealership.
- A Ford Transit can be serviced at Ford dealerships across Canada
- A RAM ProMaster can be serviced at RAM dealerships across Canada
That means if your wheelchair accessible vehicle has a brake issue in Northern Alberta, an engine light in Nova Scotia, or a transmission problem in rural British Columbia, you do not need to bring it back to us in Winnipeg.
There are hundreds of Ford and RAM dealerships across the country that can help with warranty claims and repairs.
Once you understand the difference between the chassis and the conversion, the idea of being “too far away” starts to feel a lot less scary.
Step 3: Call MoveMobility if the problem is conversion-related
If the problem is with the conversion side of your wheelchair van, that is where we step in.
Cela pourrait inclure :
- Ramps : A rampe that will not deploy or close properly.
- Lifts: A élévateur pour fauteuil roulant that stops working.
- Systèmes de fixation : Problems with tie-downs or Fixations pour fauteuil roulant.
- Accessibility equipment: Issues with lighting, grab bars, lowered floors, or powered doors.
The good news is that most of these problems can be handled remotely.
Your local mechanic or body shop does not need to be an expert in wheelchair accessible vehicles. Our Customer Care team can help them diagnose the issue, guide them through the repair, and source the right parts.
Imaginez un peu : Your wheelchair accessible van is in Northern British Columbia, and the ramp stops working. You don’t have to ship the van back to Winnipeg. You call us, your local shop takes a look, and we work through the issue together.
That’s how most wheelchair van service calls get solved across Canada.
Our Customer Care team is available Monday to Friday during business hours. We aim to respond to service emails within two hours, so you’re not stuck waiting days for an answer.
That support model matters because many organizations are far from major cities. Geography should not stop you from getting people to medical appointments, Programmes de jour pour adultes, or community events.
Dealing with wheelchair van issues in Manitoba? Check out the video below to learn about the new Manitoba Service Program.
Can I do anything to prepare for wheelchair van breakdowns?
When your wheelchair van breaks down, having a plan makes a stressful situation feel much more manageable. A few simple things can save time, speed up repairs, and get your wheelchair accessible vehicle back on the road faster.
Gather your wheelchair van information before you call
Before you call anyone, gather a few key details about your wheelchair van:
- VIN : Your vehicle identification number, usually on the dash or inside the driver’s door.
- License plate: Your current plate number.
- Odometer reading: The current kilometres on the van.
- Localisation : Your exact location or nearest town.
- Problem description: A simple explanation of what is happening.
For example, is the ramp stuck? Is there a warning light? Did the engine stop? The more details you can share, the faster we can help.
Have our contact information handy
As we mentioned earlier, when your van breaks down, contact us:
- Téléphone : 844-951-3808
- Courriel : service@movemobility.ca
- Online: Service form on our website
In many cases, we can solve the problem during the call or through a quick video. Other times, we will work directly with your local mechanic or body shop.
If your wheelchair accessible van truly needs to come back to us, we will explain that clearly and help you plan the next steps.
Familiarize yourself with wheelchair van roadside limitations
Roadside assistance works best on public roads that tow trucks can access.
Ice roads, logging roads, and remote northern routes often fall outside standard coverage. If your wheelchair accessible vehicle gets stuck in one of these areas, you may need to arrange recovery yourself first.
- Ford may reimburse up to $75 for some self-arranged service costs.
- Stellantis may reimburse up to $300 for rail or water transport.
- Ford claims usually take 4 to 6 weeks through roadsideclaims.ca.
- Stellantis claims must be mailed within 30 days.
That is why a backup plan matters, especially if your organization operates in remote parts of Canada.
The best time to prepare for a wheelchair van breakdown is before one happens. A little planning now can save hours of stress later.
Save these important wheelchair van contact numbers
Every driver should have these numbers saved in their phone and written on a laminated card in the glove box:
- Ford Roadside Assistance: 1-800-665-2006
- Stellantis Roadside Assistance: 1-800-363-4869
- MoveMobility Customer Care: 844-951-3808
- Service Email: service@movemobility.ca
If you run more than one wheelchair accessible van, every driver should have access to this information.
Know your wheelchair van chassis
Drivers should know which chassis the wheelchair van uses.
- A Ford Transit goes to Ford roadside assistance and Ford dealerships
- A RAM ProMaster goes to Stellantis roadside assistance and RAM dealerships
That may sound simple now, but it matters a lot when someone is standing on the side of Highway 17 in Northern Ontario in February.
Keep a wheelchair van information card in every vehicle
Every wheelchair accessible van should have a simple card with:
- Organization name
- VIN
- License plate
- Vehicle model
- Contact numbers
- Steps on who to call first
If there is a problem with the ramp, lift, seating system, or another conversion feature, call us right away. Small problems often become bigger and more expensive when they sit too long.
Be ready when your wheelchair van breaks down
You came to this article because a wheelchair van breakdown feels bigger than a flat tire or warning light. It can mean missed appointments, cancelled outings, and people left without the transportation they count on every day.
After reading this, you now know:
- How roadside assistance works for your wheelchair van
- The difference between the chassis and conversion
- When to call a dealership and when to call us
- How to prepare your wheelchair accessible van before a breakdown happens
Au MoveMobility, we have spent more than two decades helping organizations across Canada keep transportation and healthcare moving forward. We support transit programs, adult day centres, First Nations communities, and healthcare organizations in places where help can feel far away.
Our team has built service processes around remote support, local repair partners, and quick response times because we know your work cannot stop when a wheelchair accessible vehicle has a problem. That is part of why organizations across Canada continue to trust us to help remove barriers to mobility, dignity, and care.
If you have questions about your wheelchair van, your service options, or what support looks like in your region, click the button below to talk to a mobility expert.
Que devriez-vous lire ensuite ?
- What’s the Prepaid Maintenance Program? Check out the video below to learn more about that.
- Top 5 problems with wheelchair lifts (with 5 solutions): Read about some of the most common lift problems organizations run into and what you can do before they become major repairs.
- Pratiques de maintenance des fauteuils roulants que vous devez connaître : See what regular maintenance can help you avoid costly repairs, downtime, and disruptions to your transportation program.
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