The problem
Transportation Collaborative, Inc. (Transportation Collaborative) is recalling certain model year 2015 Trans Tech Bus Student Safety Transporter, Student Transporter Aero, and Roadstar school buses manufactured May 1, 2015, to November 15, 2015, equipped with certain Transpec T6000, T6100, and T7000 series school bus stop arms. The affected stop arms have a reflective decal that may peel loose from the stop arm. As such, these stop arms fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 131, "School Bus Pedestrian Safety Devices."
The risk
Without a reflective decal, the stop arms would have reduced visibility to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix
Transportation Collaborative will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop arm blade assembly, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2016. Owners may contact Transportation Collaborative customer service at 1-845-988-0419 or the manufacturer of the stop arms at 1-800-951-7867. Transportation Collaborative's number for this recall is 15E-090.
Contacts
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
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 Trans Tech, Trans Tech Bus dealer will do the repair free, whether or not you bought the vehicle there. Quote campaign 16V005000.
- 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.