Champion CONTENDER recalls by model year
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
1 owner complaints analyzed
3 distinct recall campaigns
80,816 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1998 to 2001 model years. Data updated: . 1 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 1 |
| 1999 | 1 |
| 2000 | 2 |
| 2001 | 1 |
1998: 1; 1999: 1; 2000: 2; 2001: 1
Year-by-year records
Recall history
3 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
99V091000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Reported: 1999-04-20 (April 20, 1999) · Model years: 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: TRANSIT BUSES BUILT ON SPARTAN CHASSIS. HYDRAULIC FLUID RESERVOIR MAY BE MOUNTED LOWER THAN RECOMMENDED WHICH COULD REDUCE THE FLOW OF HYDRAULIC OIL TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP.
Consequence: INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING COULD OCCUR, INCREASING THE EFFORT NEEDED TO STEER THE VEHICLE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLES FOR THE RESERVOIR LOCATION AND THE RESERVOIR WILL BE RELOCATED.
NHTSA campaign record ↗02V160006 · Seat Belts:Front:Retractor
Reported: 2002-10-29 (October 29, 2002) · Model years: 1999, 2000, 2001
ON CERTAIN BUSES EQUIPPED WITH CP TRAVELING RETRACTOR LAP (TYPE 1) SEAT BELTS, THE PLASTIC COVER HOUSING THE RESERVE END OF THE SEAT BELT WEB CAN BREAK. IF THE TWO HALVES OF THE COVER COMPLETELY SEPARATE, THE CONNECTOR PORTION OF THE BELT WILL DETACH FROM THE COVER. ONCE DETACHED, THE CONNECTOR RIVET CAN SEPARATE FROM THE CONNECTOR FRAME CAUSING THE FRAME TO BECOME UNUSABLE.
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CANNOT OCCUR DURING USE, HOWEVER, THE BELT WILL BE UNSUABLE AND MAY RESULT IN AN OCCUPANT SEATING POSITION WITHOUT A SEAT BELT. IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, AN UNBELTED INDIVIDUAL COULD BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED.
Remedy: AMSAFE WILL NOTIFY ITS CUSTOMERS AND PROVIDE A PLASTIC OUTER COVER THAT SNAPS OVER THE EXISTING COVER ON UNITS IN THE FIELD AND WILL REPLACE BROKEN SEAT BELTS FREE OF CHARGE. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT AMSAFE AT 574-266-8330 OR CHAMPION AT 810-724-6474.
NHTSA campaign record ↗06V368000 · Structure:Body:Door
Reported: 2006-09-27 (September 27, 2006) · Model years: 2000
ON CERTAIN BUSES EQUIPPED WITH VAPOR BUS CONNECTING RODS, WHEN THE CONNECTING ROD IS SUBJECTED TO CERTAIN LOAD COMBINATIONS AND CUMULATIVE CYCLING, INITIATION AND PROPAGATION OF FATIGUE CRACKS ARE SEEN AT THE EXTERNAL THREAD ROOTS. IF THE CRACK INITIATES AND PROPAGATES THROUGH THE CROSS SECTION OF THE CONNECTING ROD, IT MAY RESULT IN THE BENDING OR THE CONNECTING ROD ASSEMBLY AND MALFUNCTION OF THE DOOR ACTUATION ASSEMBLY.
Consequence: IF THE CRACK PROPAGATES THROUGH THE ENTIRE CROSS SECTION OF THE CONNECTING ROD, THE CONNECTING ROD MAY BREAK AND THE ASSOCIATED DOOR PANEL MAY BE ABLE TO MOVE FREELY IN AN UNCONTROLLED MANNER, LEAVING PASSENGERS INSIDE THE BUS UNPROTECTED BY THE DOOR PANEL AND POSSIBLY ENABLING A PROTRUDING DOOR PANEL TO STRIKE PERSONS OR OBJECTS OUTSIDE THE BUS.
Remedy: VAPOR BUS IS CONDUCTING THIS RECALL (PLEASE SEE 05E-030). ALL BUSES INVOLVED IN THIS RECALL HAVE BEEN REPAIRED.
NHTSA campaign record ↗Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
1 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-09-30.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension:Front:Stabilizer Bar | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 10120864 · 80,816 miFRONT SUSPENSION TRACK BAR CRACK AT MOUNTING BRACKET OF 1999 CHAMPION CONTENDER TRANSIT BUS. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension:Front:Stabilizer Bar | Too few reports for a range | 80,816 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10120864 · 80,816 miFRONT SUSPENSION TRACK BAR CRACK AT MOUNTING BRACKET OF 1999 CHAMPION CONTENDER TRANSIT BUS. |
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
2000: 0 complaints · 2001: 0 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Suspension:Front:Stabilizer Bar |
|---|---|
| Suspension:Front:Stabilizer Bar | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.