2009–2015 Champion Crusader, 2009–2015 Champion CTS-RE, 2009–2015 Champion Stacked Rail Recall: Affected seats have J-Brackets that may be missing welds which could allow…

The defect

Champion Bus, Inc. (Champion) is recalling certain model year 2009-2015 Crusader, Stacked Rail, and CTS RE vehicles manufactured April 5, 2010, to October 14, 2015, equipped with Recaro Ergo-M Commercial Bus Driver Seats. The affected seats have J-Brackets that may be missing welds which could allow the seat belt anchorage assembly to separate from the J-Bracket.

The risk

If the seatbelt anchorage assembly separates from the J-Bracket, the bus driver may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash increasing their risk of injury.

The fix — what to do

Champion will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seats to determine if welds are missing. Any J-Bracket that is missing welds will be removed and replaced, free of charge. The recall began on February 25, 2016. Owners may contact Champion customer service at 1-810-724-6474, or Johnson Controls (manufacturer of Recaro seats) customer service at 1-248-484-3203.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.