NHTSA Issues School Bus Recall
ConsumerAffairs.com

06/09/2005 - The National Traffic Safety Administration has issued two school bus recalls - one for a window defect that the agency warns could result in serious injury or death, the other for improper welds on some seats.

NHTSA says 200 Sturdibus units manufactured by the U.S. Bus Corporation are affected by the window-defect recall which is scheduled to begin this month.

The agency reports on its Web site that "in the event of a vehicle crash, its is possible that passenger contact with the window could cause the window to dislodge from its gasket or seal and permit passage of a passenger's head through the resulting opening."

This NHTSA concludes, "could result in serious injury or even death."

The agency says that the Sturtibus school buses, manufactured in 2005 fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 217, "Window Retention."

U.S. Bus Corporation has not provided the Agency with a remedy or notification schedule. Bus owners who do not receive a free remedy for affected vehicles should contact U.S. Bus Corporation at 845-357-2510.

In a second recall, NHTSA reports that and undetermined number of Sturdibus unites and Universe School Buses were manufactured with improper or missing welds on some school bus passenger seats and crash protection.

In the event of a frontal crash, according to the agency, the barrier may fail to restrain a front seat passenger.

U.S. Bus Corporation will repair the defect free of charge.