NHTSA campaign 18V798000
Champion Bus, Inc. Recall 18V-798: Seat Back may not Stay Upright/FMVSS 207, 210
NHTSA recall 18V798000 was reported by Champion Bus, Inc. on November 12, 2018, with 76 vehicles potentially affected (per NHTSA). NHTSA's record lists the Champion Challenger, Champion Defender, Champion LF Transport and more for model years 2017–2018. Owners were notified on December 19, 2018, per NHTSA.
Updated daily from NHTSA's recall files
Is my vehicle included?
This page lists, by model year, the vehicles NHTSA's recall record names for campaign 18V798000 in the model years try.vin imports (1995 and later); NHTSA's own record can list more. A model year on the list doesn't mean every vehicle of that year is included, and some may already have been repaired.
To see whether a specific vehicle is included and still needs the repair, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Free VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Key facts
- NHTSA campaign
- 18V798000 (also written 18V-798 or 18V798)
- Filed by
- Champion Bus, Inc.
- Report received
- Potentially affected
- 76 vehicles (per NHTSA)
- Component
- Seats
- Owners notified
- Safety standard
- FMVSS 207
Repair completion: 0% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated October 21, 2026)
NHTSA cautions against comparing completion rates across recalls or manufacturers. How try.vin reads them.
Vehicles listed for this recall
NHTSA's recall record lists these vehicles for recall 18V798000. try.vin imports model years 1995 and later, so NHTSA's own list can be longer. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to it. Build dates are NHTSA's range for a model year (per NHTSA); a vehicle built in that range is not necessarily included.
Champion
Champion Challenger
Champion Defender
Champion LF Transport
Goshen
Goshen G-Force
Goshen Impulse
NHTSA's recall notice
As NHTSA's recall record states it for campaign 18V798000.
Defect description
Champion Bus, Inc. (Champion) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Champion Challenger, Defender, LF Transport, Goshen G-Force, and Impulse transit buses, equipped with Freedman GO-ES Foldaway Seats, part numbers 43705, 45467, 48923, and 75719. When the back seat cushion is rotated from the stowed position to the upright position, the seat cushion may not remain locked into place when under load, such as in a crash or a sudden stop. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems," and number 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
Safety consequence
In the event of a crash, if the seat back moves, the seat occupant has an increased risk of injury.
Manufacturer remedy
Champion will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair the foldaway seat, free of charge. The recall began December 19, 2018. Owners may contact Champion customer service at 1-810-724-1753, extension 415 or Freedman customer service at 1-800-527-7477.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Sources
Official NHTSA notice for recall 18V798000
Campaign details come from NHTSA's recall files, which try.vin imports once a day. The plain-language subject and the completion rate come from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Recalls Data dataset. How try.vin reads recall data.