- Vehicles
- 186
- Built between
- Nov 1981 – Feb 1983
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA compliance test
- Owners notified
- 28 April 1983
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between November 1981 and February 1983. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1981-1983 Carpenter School BUSBuilt November 1981 to February 1983
What the defect is
During a collision, certain interior panels could separate because they have been inadequately fastened. Interior ceiling and body panel joints may not comply with strength requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard 221, "school bus body joint strength".
What gets fixed
THE DEALER WILL INSPECT AND INSTALL ADDITIONAL FASTENERS IN THE INTERIOR CEILING PANEL AND WALL PANEL JOINTS AT NO CHARGE TO OWNER.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtNovember 1981 to February 1983
- Recall reported to NHTSA6 April 1983
- Owners notified28 April 1983
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 April 1983.
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.
Official source
- Recalling manufacturer
- CARPENTER BDY WRKS, INC.
- 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
Vehicle description: school buses.system: interior systems; interior body panel joints.consequences of defect: if the interior panels separate during an accident,there is increased potential for occupant injury and ejection.
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.