The problem
Motor Coach Industries (MCI) is recalling certain 2018-2019 MCI J4500 motorcoaches with the 60 passenger seating option. These vehicles may have an insufficient number of emergency egress windows, inhibiting passenger exit in the event of an emergency. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 217, "Bus Emergency Exits and Window Retention and Release."
The risk
In the event of an emergency, an insufficient number of emergency egress windows can lengthen the time that passengers need to exit the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix
MCI will notify owners, and dealers will replace a non-egress window on each side of the vehicle to an egress window and install the proper emergency exit window labels, free of charge. The recall began April 4, 2019. Owners may contact MCI customer service at 1-800-241-2947. MCI's number for this recall is FCP 468.
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 Mci dealer will do the repair free, whether or not you bought the vehicle there. Quote campaign 18V692000.
- 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.