The Recall Desk
SevereNHTSA·14V303000·Announced 2014-05-28

Champion Bus Defender Recall for Transmission Software Defect

Champion Bus is recalling 2014 Defender shuttle buses because transmission software may cause unintended acceleration, increasing crash risk.

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 defect that may result in unintended acceleration, increasing the risk of a crash, which aligns with the rubric criterion for significant injury reports or structural vehicle defects.

Plain-English summary

Champion Bus, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2014 Defender shuttle buses built on Freightliner M2 chassis. These vehicles are equipped with Eaton-brand hybrid automated transmissions. The software controlling the affected transmissions may improperly raise the vehicle's engine speed during downshifts without the driver's input.

The increase in engine speed may result in unintended acceleration, which increases the risk of a crash. Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), the manufacturer of the Freightliner chassis, has notified owners. Eaton authorized service facilities have updated the Hybrid Control Module Software version free of charge. The recall began in May 2014.

Owners may contact Champion Bus at 1-810-724-6474 or Eaton at 1-800-386-1911. Customers may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or visit www.safercar.gov.

The recalled product

Product
CHAMPION BUS DEFENDER
Brand
CHAMPION BUS
Manufacturer
Champion Bus, Inc.
Category
Vehicle — Shuttle Bus
Hazard
Affected units
2

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)

  • DEFENDER

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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