The Recall Desk
SevereNHTSA·11E043000·Announced 2011-10-14

Challenger Door Recalls School Bus Rear Emergency Exit Doors

Challenger Door is recalling rear emergency exit doors for certain Starcraft school buses because the handle latch may bind due to insufficient lubrication.

What this means for you

Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural vehicle defect (door latch mechanism) that could hinder emergency egress, potentially resulting in injury, which aligns with the 'Severe' criteria for structural vehicle defects.

Plain-English summary

Challenger Door, LLC is recalling certain rear emergency exit doors, model numbers 1251 and 1252, produced from 2009 through 2011. These doors were sold as original equipment for certain Starcraft school buses.

The recall is due to insufficient lubrication on the rear door handle latch mechanism, which may cause the handle to bind. In the event of an emergency, vehicle occupants may be unable to open the rear door, hindering egress from the bus and possibly resulting in injury.

Challenger Door is working with Starcraft to identify and notify owners of the affected buses. Owners may contact Challenger Door at 1-574-773-8115 or Starcraft for more information. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit safercar.gov.

The recalled product

Product
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH recall
Affected units
1,579

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.