- Vehicles
- 503
- Built between
- Apr 2005 – Aug 2007
- Models
- 7
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 14 August 2008
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between April 2005 and August 2007. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2005-2007 Champion ChallengerBuilt April 2005 to August 2007
- 2005-2006 Champion CorporalBuilt April 2005 to August 2007
- 2005-2007 Champion CrusaderBuilt April 2005 to August 2007
- 2007 Champion CTS-FEBuilt April 2005 to August 2007
- 2006 Champion CTS-REBuilt April 2005 to August 2007
- 2005-2007 Champion DefenderBuilt April 2005 to August 2007
- 2007 Champion IC DefenderBuilt April 2005 to August 2007
What the defect is
Champion bus is recalling 503 my 2005-2007 challenger, crusader, defender, my 2005-2006 corporal, my 2006 cts-re, and my 2007 cts-fe and ic defender transit buses equipped with a ricon platform style wheelchair lift. This lift fails to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 403, "platform lift systems for motor vehicles." the anti-stow interlock may not detect the presence of a wheelchair or mobility aid user. The pressure sensing switch that detects the presence of weight on the platform was not adjusted to the necessary sensitivity level. The lift could stow even though someone or something is still on the lift.
What could happen
A lift occupant can be injured should the lift begin to stow unintentionally.
What gets fixed
CHAMPION BUS IS WORKING WITH RICON TO CORRECT THE WHEELCHAIR LIFT FREE OF CHARGE (PLEASE SEE 07E097).
Timeline
- Vehicles builtApril 2005 to August 2007
- Recall reported to NHTSA25 September 2008
- Owners notified14 August 2008
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 25 September 2008.
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 may contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000 or champion bus at 1-800-331-5761.
Official source
- Recalling manufacturer
- CHAMPION BUS, INC.
- Safety standard
- FMVSS 403
- Recall initiated by
- ODI
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
Customers may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
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.