- Vehicles
- 20,950
- Built between
- May 1990 – Nov 1995
- Models
- 3
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 18 July 1996
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between May 1990 and November 1995. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1990-1995 Carpenter CadetBuilt May 1990 to November 1995
- 1990-1995 Carpenter ClassicBuilt May 1990 to November 1995
- 1990-1995 Carpenter ClassmateBuilt May 1990 to November 1995
What the defect is
Passengers' clothing can unknowingly become caught in the handrails at bus doors when exiting the bus.
What could happen
When a passenger's clothing becomes caught in the handrail, and the bus driver closes the door and puts the vehicle in motion, and the individual is subject to being dragged by the bus. This can result inserious injury or death.
What gets fixed
INSERT A BLOCK BETWEEN THE LOWER HANDRAIL MOUNT AND THE BUS SIDEWALL TO STOP THE CLOTHING FROM BEING CAUGHT.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtMay 1990 to November 1995
- Recall reported to NHTSA5 March 1996
- Owners notified18 July 1996
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 5 March 1996.
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 INDUSTRIES, INC.
- 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
System: equipment: handrails at bus entry ways.vehicle description: school buses. Note: owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time, should contact carpenter at 1-317-966-8339. Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-800-424-9393.
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.