Navistar Recalls IC Bus School Buses Due to Parking Brake Defect
Navistar is recalling certain IC Bus school buses because the parking brake may release unexpectedly, posing a risk of injury or death.
What this means for you
Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).
The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.
Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly states that the defect may result in 'property damage, personal damage, or death,' which aligns with the rubric criterion for 'significant injury/property-damage reports' or structural vehicle defects involving serious harm potential.
Plain-English summary
Navistar, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2010 and 2011 IC CE, BE, and FE school buses manufactured between November 19, 2003, and February 9, 2010. The recall also includes specific model years for IC CE and IC FESB buses as detailed in the affected vehicle list.
The defect involves the brake system electronic control unit (ECU) software, which may misinterpret input signals generated from cycling the ignition switch more than once at a specific frequency. This misinterpretation can cause the parking brake to release unexpectedly. Such a release may cause a sudden, unexpected shift in vehicle position, potentially resulting in property damage, personal injury, or death.
Navistar will notify owners and repair the buses by reprogramming the vehicle's brake system ECU free of charge. The safety recall began on April 2, 2010. Owners may contact Navistar at 1-260-461-1890 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.
The recalled product
- Product
- IC BUS, IC CE, FESB, BE, FE
- Brand
- IC BUS
- Manufacturer
- NAVISTAR, INC
- Category
- Vehicle — School Bus
- Affected units
- 5,016
Is your product affected?
Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.
Model numbers (4)
- CE
- FESB
- BE
- FE
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.
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