The following safety recall was issued Monday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
- Blue Bird Body Company is recalling certain 2019-2021 All American and Vision school buses. An insufficient number of rivets were installed in the roof sheets, allowing the roof sheets to separate in the event of a severe impact. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 221, “School Bus Body Joint Strength.” In the event of a crash, if the roof sheets separate, there is an increased risk of injury. NHTSA says potentially 302 vehicles are affected by this recall.
- Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) is recalling certain 2020 Thomas Built Buses Minotour school buses. The seatbelt-unfastened warning light will not illuminate for approximately five seconds after the ignition is moved to the “on” or “start” position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of FMCVSS number 208, “Occupant Crash Protection.” Without the seatbelt warning reminder, the driver may forget to fasten the seatbelt, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash. NHTSA says potentially 1,045 vehicles are affected by this recall.
- DTNA is recalling certain 2014-2020 Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner EFX, Minotour, Saf-T-Liner C2, and Saf-T-Liner HDX buses equipped with SynTec S3B or S3C seats. The seats may have been manufactured with styrene blocks that may not provide sufficient impact absorption in certain specific areas around the steel seat frame of the back support. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of FMVSS number 222, “School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection.” The lack of impact absorption increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash. NHTSA says potentially 40 vehicles are affected by this recall.
- Daimler Vans USA is recalling certain 2016-2019 Mercedes-Benz Metris vehicles. The integrated backup battery compartment located underneath the front passenger’s seat may not have its own cover, potentially exposing the battery when the seat is moved forward. If conductive material, such as metal, unintentionally drops into the opening and contacts the terminals on the battery, an electrical short can occur, increasing the risk of a fire. NHTSA says potentially 15,160 vehicles are affected by this recall.
- Daimler Vans USA is recalling certain 2019 Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner Sprinter vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the abutting wedge, a component attached to the door jamb to make opening the door easier after a severe frontal impact, may have been installed incorrectly. If a vehicle that has an incorrectly installed abutting wedge is involved in a severe frontal accident, a greater force may be necessary to open the doors, increasing the risk of injury. NHTSA says potentially 153 vehicles are affected by this recall.
