1995 Carpenter Classic Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Problem: Vehicle description: school bus with side emergency doors. The body side posts for the emergency door can crack.

Risk: The emergency door may not latch properly, increasing the risk of personal injury to an occupant.

Fix: Carpenter has gone out of business. Owners were to be provided with free parts, repair instructions, and reimbursed for the labor involved.

Problem: Vehicle description: school buses. The back panel of the passenger seats was not adequately welded.

Risk: In the event of a vehicle crash, the seat occupant may not be properly protected and personal injury could occur.

Fix: Carpenter will provide owners with detailed inspection instructions and provide them with the necessary parts to repair these seats.

Problem: Vehicle description: school buses. Side emergency push-out windows may not open properly due to interference with exterior bow cap. Emergency door(s) may not have required operating instructions located adjacent to interior door handle. This does not meet the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 217, "bus window retention and release."

Risk: Exit windows may not open properly during an emergency.

Fix: Owners will be provided with modification instructions or if they so desire, can contact an authorized dealer for assistance.

Problem: The seat pedestals are fatigue cracking adjacent to the weld which secures the pedestal's upper plate to the upper, telescoping portion of the adjustable column support.

Risk: The upper mounting plate and seat upper gradually becomes loose resulting in the upper plate detaching from the supporting column and the seat can fall from its mounting. This can result in personal injury to the driver.

Fix: Bostrom is conducting the owner notification and remedy for this campaign. Dealers will repair these pedestals with a newly designed pedestal bracket kit.

Problem: Vehicle description: school buses. Passenger's clothing can unknowingly become caught in the handrails at bus doors when exiting the bus.

Risk: When a passenger's clothing becomes caught in the handrail and the bus driver closes the door and puts the vehicle in motion, the individual is subject to being dragged by the bus. This can result in serious injury or death.

Fix: Carpenter is sending corrective parts to owners along with installation instructions.

Problem: Passengers' clothing can unknowingly become caught in the handrails at bus doors when exiting the bus.

Risk: When a passenger's clothing becomes caught in the handrail, and the bus driver closes the door and puts the vehicle in motion, and the individual is subject to being dragged by the bus. This can result inserious injury or death.

Fix: Insert a block between the lower handrail mount and the bus sidewall to stop the clothing from being caught.

Problem: The driver's seat belt anchorage bolt is not the specified 7/16-20unf-2a. These anchorages do not meet the requirements of fmvss no. 209, "seat belt assemblies."

Risk: Consequence of non-compliance: the seat belt assemblies may not protect an occupant in the event of a vehicle collision.

Fix: Dealers will inspect the driver's seat belt for the proper fasteners and will replace attachment hardware that does not comply with the safety standard.