- Vehicles
- 188
- Built between
- Jun 1998 – Aug 2001
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA compliance test
- Owners notified
- 10 September 2003
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between June 1998 and August 2001. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1998-2001 Us Bus SturdibusBuilt June 1998 to August 2001
What the defect is
Vehicle description: certain school buses fail to comply with requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 221, "school bus body joint strength." these buses have insufficient metal hemming in the panel joints.
What could happen
In the event of a crash, the side panels of the bus may not protect the occupants at the level required by the standard.
What gets fixed
ON THE RIGHT AND LEFT REAR EXTERIOR PANEL JOINTS BEHIND THE REAR WHEELS, AN ADDITIONAL 4 STEEL RIVETS WILL BE ADDED AT EACH 8" SECTION BETWEEN THE RUB RAILS TO THE JOINT FOR BOTH SIDES OF THE BUS. THE INTERIOR CEILING PANEL JOINT WILL GO FROM THE LEFT SIDE TO THE RIGHT SIDE INSIDE THE BUS. ON THE INTERIOR CELING PANELS CENTER JOINT FROM THE FRONT TO THE REAR INSIDE OF THE BUS, 4 NEW STEEL RIVETS WILL BE ADDED EVERY 8" SECTION FROM FRONT TO THE REAR OF THE BUS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN SEPTEMBER 10, 2003.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJune 1998 to August 2001
- Recall reported to NHTSA6 September 2001
- Owners notified10 September 2003
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 6 September 2001.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
Owners who do not receive the free modification kit and installation instructions within a reasonable time should contact US bus at 1-845-357-2510.
Official source
- Recalling manufacturer
- U.S. BUS CORPORATION
- Safety standard
- FMVSS 221
- Recall initiated by
- OVSC
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.