The Recall Desk
HighNHTSA·12V039000·Announced 2012-02-03

Champion M1235 Trucks Recalled for Faulty Side Marker and Directional Lights

Champion Bus is recalling 2012 M1235 trucks because software errors may cause side marker and directional lights to stop working, increasing crash risk.

What this means for you

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a risk-of-harm product (lighting failure increasing crash risk) where no specific injuries or fatalities have been reported in the source text, fitting the 'High' severity criteria.

Plain-English summary

Champion Bus, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2012 ABC-M1235 trucks manufactured between June 21, 2011, and November 18, 2011. These vehicles are equipped with a Freightliner custom chassis. The recall affects 20 units.

Inaccurate fault detection values in the bulkhead module software may cause the side marker and directional lights to stop functioning after a few minutes of vehicle operation. The lights will resume operation only after the vehicle is shut down and restarted. This failure results in decreased visibility of the vehicle and may misinform other drivers as to the intended direction of travel, which could increase the risk of a crash.

Freightliner will notify owners and perform repairs at its authorized facilities free of charge. The safety recall began on February 2, 2012. Owners may contact Champion at 1-810-724-6474 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
CHAMPION M1235
Brand
CHAMPION
Manufacturer
CHAMPION BUS, INC.
Category
Vehicle — Truck
Hazard
Affected units
20

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 (1)

  • M1235

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

Related recalls

Same brand · CHAMPION

Same manufacturer · CHAMPION BUS, INC.

See all →

Same hazard · lighting failure

See all →