Preliminary Evaluation · Closed
Lap seat belts fail to latch
Manufacturer: Navistar, Inc.
This investigation led to a recall
NHTSA links this probe to recall campaign 19V479000.
Read the recall: what is defective and the free fix →What NHTSA is examining
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA), received a complaint from a school bus fleet alleging seat belt failures in their model year 2011 Navistar IC (Navistar) school buses, equipped with AmSafe non-retractable passenger two-point seat belts. Following receipt of this complaint, ODI reached out to multiple school bus fleets across the country operating similar buses and confirmed the problem also existed in other buses.Following confirmation of similar seat belt failures in other school districts, NHTSA opened investigation (PE18-015) on December 17, 2018 to assess the manufacturer's data including warranty claims, field reports, design changes, etc.The scope of this investigation included all model year 2011 through 2016 Navistar school buses. Analysis of the manufacturer data provided to NHTSA in response to this investigation showed high seat belt failure rates in model year 2011 Navistar BE, CE and RE school buses when compared to peer vehicles. The elevated failure rates dropped on vehicles produced after two design changes made by the manufacturer during the production of 2011-2016 seat belts. Navistar implemented a dimensional change to the metal tongue on April 25, 2012 and started utilizing a more robust (car-type) seat belt starting April 3, 2015. The combination of these two changes significantly decreased the seat belt warranty rates in model year 2012-2016 buses. Navistar?s testing and engineering…
Vehicles under investigation
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation records, updated daily. An investigation is not a determination that a defect exists; many probes close without a recall.