The problem
Champion Bus, Inc. (Champion) is recalling certain model year 2009-2015 Crusader, Stacked Rail, and CTS RE vehicles manufactured April 5, 2010, to October 14, 2015, equipped with Recaro Ergo-M Commercial Bus Driver Seats. The affected seats have J-Brackets that may be missing welds which could allow the seat belt anchorage assembly to separate from the J-Bracket.
The risk
If the seatbelt anchorage assembly separates from the J-Bracket, the bus driver may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash increasing their risk of injury.
The fix
Champion will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seats to determine if welds are missing. Any J-Bracket that is missing welds will be removed and replaced, free of charge. The recall began on February 25, 2016. Owners may contact Champion customer service at 1-810-724-6474, or Johnson Controls (manufacturer of Recaro seats) customer service at 1-248-484-3203.
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 Champion dealer will do the repair free, whether or not you bought the vehicle there. Quote campaign 16V010000.
- 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.