The Recall Desk
SevereNHTSA·24V602000·Announced 2024-08-12

Motiv Recalls 2020-2023 Electric School Buses for Software Defect

Motiv Power Systems is recalling 2020-2023 electric school buses because a software error could shut down high-voltage batteries, causing a loss of steering and brake power assist.

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 where a software failure causes a loss of steering and brake power assist, explicitly increasing the risk of a crash.

Plain-English summary

Motiv Power Systems, Inc. is recalling certain 2021-2023 F-450 and 2020 F-59 school buses equipped with a Motiv Gen 5 EPIC powertrain. The recall involves 28 vehicles.

The vehicle control software could misclassify a loss of isolation between the chassis and the high-voltage system, resulting in a shutdown of the high-voltage batteries. This shutdown can cause a loss of steering and brake power assist, as well as drive power, which increases the risk of a crash.

Motiv will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update to correct the issue at no charge to the owner. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 5, 2024. Owners may contact Motiv customer service at 1-650-458-4804 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
MOTIV E-450 BEV CHASSIS SCHOOL BUS, F-59 BEV CHASSIS SCHOOL BUS
Brand
MOTIV
Manufacturer
Motiv Power Systems
Category
Vehicle — School Bus
Hazard
Affected units
28

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 (2)

  • E-450 BEV CHASSIS SCHOOL BUS
  • F-59 BEV CHASSIS SCHOOL BUS

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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