2011–2018 Collins School Bus Recall: Foam in the knee impact area of the lower seat back may not absorb enough…
NHTSA campaign 18V696000 · Seats · filed Oct 5, 2018 · verified Jul 30, 2026
The defect
Collins Bus Corporation (Collins) is recalling certain 2011-2018 Collins SL, SH, DH, DE, and TH school buses, built on Promaster chassis, equipped with CE White/HSM SB11-30" series, standard, unbelted, school bus seats, or SB11-30" series school bus seats with lap belts only. The foam in the knee impact area of the lower seat back may not absorb enough impact in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 222, "School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection."
The risk
If the seat foam does not absorb enough impact energy, it can increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →The fix — what to do
Collins will notify owners, and dealers will install additional foam into the seat backs, free of charge. The recall began December 21, 2018. Owners may contact Collins customer service 1-800-533-1850, extension 424. Collins' number for this recall is 18e056.
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.
Affected vehicles
Related recalls
More Collins School Bus recalls
Other campaigns involving Collins vehicles
Source: NHTSA recall database, campaign 18V696000 (manufacturer number 18e056). Data last verified Jul 30, 2026.