Freedman Seating Recalls School Bus Seats Due to Bolt Failure
Freedman Seating is recalling specific school bus seats manufactured in January 2016 because bolt failure may cause the seat to separate from the base frame during a crash.
What this means for you
Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 3/5 (High).
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 structural defect in school bus seats that increases the risk of injury in a crash, but no injuries or fatalities have been reported, fitting the 'High' severity criteria for risk-of-harm products without reported injury.
Plain-English summary
Freedman Seating Company is recalling certain Family Seat, Family 3pta, and ICS seats manufactured between January 15, 2016, and January 29, 2016. The recall involves 813 affected seats. The defect is a bolt failure that may cause the seats to separate from the base frame. Consequently, these seats fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety System (FMVSS) number 222, "School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection."
In the event of a crash, the separation of the seat from the base frame increases the risk of injury to the seat occupant. No specific injuries or fatalities are reported in the source text.
Freedman began notifying the affected bus manufacturers on April 15, 2016. The bus manufacturers will conduct recalls to notify bus owners and provide a free remedy, which includes new replacement seats. Owners may contact their bus manufacturer or Freedman customer service at 1-800-443-4540. Owners may also contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit www.safercar.gov.
The recalled product
- Product
- SEATS recall
- Manufacturer
- Freedman Seating Company
- Category
- Vehicle — School Bus Seats
- Affected units
- 813
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.
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