The problem
Vehicle description: school buses with or without seat belts equipped with between the frame rail fuel tank option and 39 and 45 inch anchor passenger seats (seat belt ready seats). These buses were built without the under floor reinforcement plate on the inboard seat mountings about the tank. This does not comply with the requirements of fmvss 210, "seat belt assembly anchorages."
The risk
In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained resulting in personal injury.
The fix
Owners will be provided with instructions on inspection, repairing and reinforcement plates. Owner notification began august 11, 2000. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact amtran at 1-800-843-5615.
Contacts
Amtran recall no. 00-301. Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).
What to do
- Check your VIN. Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls - it shows whether this recall applies to your vehicle and whether the repair has been done.
- Call a dealer. Any authorized Amtran dealer will do the repair free, whether or not you bought the vehicle there. Quote campaign 00V182000.
- Ask about parts and a loaner. If parts aren't available yet, ask what to do in the meantime.
- Keep your paperwork. If you paid for this repair before the recall, you may be able to get reimbursed - here's how.