Seat belts: front: webbing
- Component
- Seat belts: front: webbing
- Manufacturer
- Champion Bus, Inc.
- Vehicles affected
- 1,818
- Reported to NHTSA
- 2015-06-19
- Owners notified
- 2015-09-16
Defect description
Champion Bus, Inc. (Champion) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 American Crusader, American Coach, Challenger, Crusader, CTS-FE, CTS-RE, Defender, EZ Trans, HCAC, HC, DFUC, LF Transport, Premier, and Spirit transit buses manufactured March 1, 2013, to June 12, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the passenger seat belts may rub against the metal seat frame and fray. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."
Safety risk
A frayed seat belt fray may fail to properly restrain the seat occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Manufacturer remedy
Champion will notify owners, and dealers will install a plastic sleeve over the metal seat frame, and replace any seat belts that show evidence of fraying, free of charge. The recall began on September 16, 2015. Owners may contact Champion customer service at 1-810-724-1753 extension 562.