- Vehicles
- 2,480
- Built between
- Jan 1991 – Jan 1997
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 19 March 1997
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between January 1991 and January 1997. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1995-1997 Amtran VolunteerBuilt January 1991 to January 1997
- 1991-1997 Ward VolunteerBuilt January 1991 to January 1997
What the defect is
Certain clothing articles such as draw strings can become lodged in the forward handrails at the bus doors when a person is exiting the bus.
What could happen
If the driver is unaware of the situation, the entrance door may be closed, capturing the item in the door. Death or injury can occur to the person exiting the bus.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL REMOVE THIS HANDRAIL. PROVISIONS WILL BE MADE FOR BUSES OPERATING IN STATES THAT MANDATE A FORWARD MOUNTED HANDRAIL TO OFFER THE OWNERS A FREE REPAIR KIT CONTAINING A RUBBER SPACER.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJanuary 1991 to January 1997
- Recall reported to NHTSA5 February 1997
- Owners notified19 March 1997
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 February 1997.
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
- AMERICAN TRANSPORTATION CORP.
- 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
Owner notification:owner notification is expected to begin february 28, 1997. Notes:owners who need the free repair kit and are unable to obtain the kit within a reasonable time should contact amtran at 1-501-327-7761.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.