The Recall Desk
HighNHTSA·18E056000·Announced 2018-07-17

Hickory Springs Recalls School Bus Seats for Insufficient Crash Protection

Hickory Springs is recalling specific school bus seats because the foam in the knee impact area may not absorb enough energy in a crash, increasing injury 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 addresses a structural vehicle defect where seats fail to meet federal safety standards for crash protection, creating a risk of injury in a crash, but no specific injuries or fatalities are reported in the source text.

Plain-English summary

Hickory Springs Manufacturing Company (HSM) is recalling certain CE White SB11-30" series school bus seats. The recall covers standard unbelted seats and seats equipped with lap belts only. The defect involves the foam in the knee impact area of the lower seat back, which may not absorb enough impact in the event of a crash. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 222, "School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection."

If the seat foam does not absorb enough impact energy, it can increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash. HSM will notify the bus manufacturers that purchased the seats. Dealers for those manufacturers will insert an additional piece of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam into the seatback free of charge.

The recall began on September 11, 2018. Owners may contact HSM customer service at 1-419-492-2157 extension 243. Owners 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
SEATS recall
Manufacturer
Hickory Springs Manufacturing Company
Category
Vehicle — School Bus Seats
Hazard
Affected units
31,990

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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