- Vehicles
- 73
- Built between
- Sep 2006 – Nov 2012
- Models
- 4
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 23 January 2013
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between September 2006 and November 2012. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2009 Champion American CrusaderBuilt September 2006 to November 2012
- 2006, 2008-2013 Champion ChallengerBuilt September 2006 to November 2012
- 2009-2011 Champion CrusaderBuilt September 2006 to November 2012
- 2009-2013 Champion Bus DefenderBuilt September 2006 to November 2012
What the defect is
Champion Bus is recalling certain model year 2006, and certain model year 2008-2013 buses, models: American Crusader, Challenger, Crusader, and Defender; manufactured September 30, 2006, through November 16, 2012. The buses are equipped with a Ricon manufactured wheelchair lift which has an optional armored pendant cable. The cable may have been installed such that it doesn't clear the wheelchair lift and without a protective cover, or a misinstalled protective cover.
What could happen
The cable may contact the power lug at the base of the wheel chair lift causing a short circuit that could result in a fire.
What gets fixed
Champion Bus is working with Ricon to notify owners. Ricon will provide a supplemental cover kit with instructions, free of charge.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtSeptember 2006 to November 2012
- Recall reported to NHTSA18 December 2012
- Owners notified23 January 2013
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 18 December 2012.
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 Champion Bus at 1-819-724-6474 or Ricon at 1-818-267-3000.
Official source
- Recalling manufacturer
- Champion Bus, Inc.
- Recall initiated by
- MFR
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
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.
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.