- Vehicles
- 5
- Built between
- Apr 2013 – Jun 2013
- Models
- 4
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 13 August 2013
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between April 2013 and June 2013. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2013 Freightliner XCRBuilt June 2013 to June 2013
- 2013 International TerrastarBuilt June 2013 to June 2013
- 2011 Thomas Built Chsu/MickeyBuilt April 2013 to April 2013
- 2000 Thomas Built FEBuilt April 2013 to April 2013
What the defect is
Matthews Specialty Vehicles is recalling one model year 2013 Freightliner XCR bus manufactured June 27, 2013; and one model year 2000 Thomas Built FE bus manufactured April 15, 2013; and model year 2013 International TerraStar buses manufactured June 12, 2013; and one model year 2011 Thomas Built CHSU/Mickey bus manufactured April 24, 2013. Due to a design change in the power awning motor assembly, the motor assembly screws may unknowingly shear.
What could happen
If the motor assembly screws shear, it is possible that the awning can unfurl unexpectedly, either while the vehicle is at rest or while in transit, increasing the risk of personal injury or a vehicle crash.
What gets fixed
Matthews Specialty Vehicles will notify the owner and Dometic staff will replace the affected motor with one of a different design. The recall began on August 13, 2013.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtApril 2013 to June 2013
- Recall reported to NHTSA10 July 2013
- Owners notified13 August 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 10 July 2013.
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 Dometic at 1-888-447-0003 for more information. Owners are being instructed not to drive their vehicle until repairs can be performed.
Official source
- Recalling manufacturer
- Matthews Specialty Vehicles
- 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
Owners 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 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.