ThyssenKrupp LEV Elevator Service & Repair in San Diego & Orange County
Repair, Safety Checks and Parts Sourcing
Caring for a ThyssenKrupp LEV home elevator in Southern California
The LEV is a ThyssenKrupp Access home elevator that was sold in the United States from the 1990s into the 2010s. If you own one, you may have been told that the company is gone, the parts are impossible to find, or the whole elevator should be ripped out. None of that is the full picture. This page gives you what we can verify: who made the LEV, what happened to the company, what the federal safety recall says, and what we can do for a unit in your home.
Advantage Elevator repairs ThyssenKrupp LEV elevators in San Diego County and Orange County. We are not the manufacturer and we do not claim factory authorization. We are a licensed California elevator contractor with 20-plus years of experience on residential brands, including ones whose makers have changed hands.
- Licensed California elevator contractor (CSLB C-11 #1027832)
- 24/7 emergency service for stalled elevators and entrapments
- Safety checks that include the door-gap issue described below
- 4.9-star rating across more than 300 Google reviews
Controller access panel
The Advantage Elevator team
Advantage Elevator crew and service fleet, Carlsbad
What we do on ThyssenKrupp LEV units
Repair and diagnosis
Door-gap safety check
Parts sourcing
Who made the LEV and where the company stands today
The LEV and the other models named below were built by ThyssenKrupp Access, which according to a product sheet we have seen became part of ThyssenKrupp Elevator in 1999. In the federal recall notice from 2022 the company appears as TK Access Solutions Corp. of Grandview, Missouri. We read that as the company having been renamed, not closed. Whether LEV home elevators are still being produced today, we could not confirm, and we will not guess.
The residential models named by the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission are Chaparral, Destiny, LEV, LEV II, LEV II Builder, Rise, Volant, Windsor, Independence and Flexi-Lift. The units were made and sold from about 1996 to 2012, and about 16,800 were affected. That is the age range we see in Southern California homes: elevators put in during the building boom of the late 1990s and 2000s that are now 15 to 30 years old.
Safety notice: the child-entrapment recall
If you own a ThyssenKrupp Access elevator, read this. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission sued the company in July 2021. On September 14, 2022, the case settled and the company agreed to a recall to inspect home elevators. The hazard is a gap between the hoistway door and the car door or gate where a young child can become trapped. One child death was reported.
The remedy is a free inspection and free space guards. Contact TK Access Solutions through the CPSC notice at cpsc.gov to arrange it. We can also look at the gap during a service visit and explain what we see. If children live in or visit your home, do not wait for a convenient moment.
There was also an earlier recall in 2012 for certain models, including the LEV II, Volant and Rise, for a different hazard involving falls. If your unit is one of those, mention it to our technician.
Parts for LEV elevators
We will not promise parts we cannot verify. Here is what we know. TK Access Solutions still exists in Grandview, Missouri, and is the first place to ask for factory parts. Independent suppliers also sell new-old-stock, used and fabricated parts for LEV units, including gear motors. Used and fabricated parts are not factory parts, and we say so on the quote.
When a part is unavailable from anyone, the answer is usually not a new elevator. It is a modernization of the affected component: a new controller, drive or door operator that does the same job.
Product lines and what usually fails
The recalled model names cover a range of designs. The federal notice does not state the drive type for them, and we do not guess it from the name. Our technician identifies the drive when we visit. Across home elevators generally, the failures we are called for are worn door interlocks and gate switches, leveling faults, aging control boards and worn drive components, and those are what we expect on a 15-to-30-year-old LEV.
Every repair ends with a test ride and a check of the battery lowering system, which gets you to a floor during a power outage.
Modernization options
Controller, drive, door operator and cab upgrades are available for older residential elevators. Our San Diego modernization and Orange County modernization pages explain the process. We will tell you honestly when repair is the better value, and when modernization is.
Nameplate and booking
The federal notice does not say where the nameplate is on these units, so we will not tell you. Our technician locates the data plate on the first visit. Our brand identification guide lists general places to look. Call (833) 865-7887 or use online booking. Say so first if someone is trapped.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did ThyssenKrupp go out of business?
The records we can verify show the company renamed TK Access Solutions Corp. of Grandview, Missouri, as of the 2022 federal recall. We could not confirm whether LEV elevators are still produced today.
What does the LEV recall require?
The September 2022 settlement calls for a free inspection and free space guards to close the gap between the hoistway door and the car door or gate. One child death was reported. Contact TK Access Solutions through the CPSC notice, or ask us to look at the gap.
Can you get parts for an old LEV?
Sometimes. We check the manufacturer first, then independent suppliers of new-old-stock, used and fabricated parts. We tell you which type it is and the lead time before you approve work.
Do I have to replace my LEV?
Usually not. Most failures are in components that can be repaired or modernized individually. We recommend replacement only when repair no longer makes sense.
Do you service the Porch-Lift too?
Yes. The Porch-Lift is a vertical platform lift, not a home elevator. See our ThyssenKrupp Porch-Lift page for details.
Related Pages
LEV elevator stuck? Call now.
Technicians on call 24 hours a day across San Diego and Orange County. (833) 865-7887.
