Carpenter Visibility: Windshield

Carpenter is recalling about 4,037 vehicles over a problem with the visibility. Exit windows may not open properly during an emergency.

Campaign
97V077000
Manufacturer
CARPENTER INDUSTRIES, INC.
Reported
9 May 1997
Vehicles
4,037
Built between
May 1995 – Apr 1997
Models
2
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
NHTSA compliance test
Owners notified
9 June 1997
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between May 1995 and April 1997. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 1995-1997 Carpenter ClassicBuilt May 1995 to April 1997
  • 1995-1997 Carpenter CounselorBuilt May 1995 to April 1997

What the defect is

Vehicle description: school buses. Side emergency push-out windows may not open properly due to interference with exterior bow cap. Emergency door(s) may not have required operating instructions located adjacent to interior door handle. This does not meet the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 217, "bus window retention and release."

What could happen

Exit windows may not open properly during an emergency.

What gets fixed

OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH MODIFICATION INSTRUCTIONS OR IF THEY SO DESIRE, CAN CONTACT AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR ASSISTANCE.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtMay 1995 to April 1997
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA9 May 1997
  3. Owners notified9 June 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 9 May 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
CARPENTER INDUSTRIES, INC.
Safety standard
FMVSS 217
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

Owner notification:owner notification is expected to begin may 28, 1997. Notes:owners who do not receive the modification instructions within a reasonable time should contact carpenter at 1-317-965-4000.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.

Same component

Same brand