Recall 11V293 affects 702 2002-2011 Collins Bantam, Super Bantam, Grand Bantam school buses for seat crash-protection padding. Repair is free at any franchised Collins dealer.
Collins is recalling 702 2002-2011 Bantam, Super Bantam, and Grand Bantam school buses because the passenger seating area fails to meet the leg protection zone impact requirements in the federal school bus crash-protection standard. In a crash, occupants face injury risk, and the dealer repair will be free once available.
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What's wrong?
The seats in 2002-2011 Collins Bantam, Super Bantam, and Grand Bantam school buses are part of the passenger crash-protection system. They do more than give students a place to sit. The seat structure and the space around it are supposed to help manage where a passenger's legs contact the bus interior during a crash.
On affected buses, the seating area does not conform to the leg protection zone impact requirements in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 222. That means the area around the passenger seats did not meet the required impact performance for leg contact in a crash. This recall is about crash-protection compliance, not a seat that breaks during normal driving.
There is no warning sign before failure. An owner or driver will not see a dashboard light, hear a noise, or feel a change in how the bus drives that shows this seating-zone defect is present.
Who's affected?
Spans the Bantam, Super Bantam, and Grand Bantam lines from 2002-2011, all tied to the seat assembly.
| 2003 Collins Bantam | seat assembly |
|---|---|
| 2011 Collins Super Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2009 Collins Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2006 Collins Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2010 Collins Grand Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2009 Collins Grand Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2007 Collins Grand Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2006 Collins Grand Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2005 Collins Grand Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2004 Collins Grand Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2010 Collins Super Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2006 Collins Super Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2005 Collins Super Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2003 Collins Super Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2002 Collins Super Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2004 Collins Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2002 Collins Grand Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2011 Collins Grand Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2010 Collins Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2011 Collins Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2005 Collins Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2004 Collins Super Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2007 Collins Super Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2008 Collins Super Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2009 Collins Super Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2007 Collins Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2008 Collins Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2002 Collins Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2008 Collins Grand Bantam | seat assembly |
| 2003 Collins Grand Bantam | seat assembly |
| Units affected | 702 |
The year and model narrow the scope, but the VIN decides. Check your VIN to confirm whether your specific bus is included.
What's the safety risk?
In a crash, insufficient foam padding under the upholstery leaves occupants at risk of inadequate protection and injury. Schedule the recall repair soon and confirm appointment timing with the dealer. Repair will be free at any franchised Collins dealer once available.
What should I do?
- Check your VIN to confirm your 2002-2011 Collins Bantam, Super Bantam, or Grand Bantam school bus is included in this recall.
- Look for the Collins owner letter, then contact a franchised Collins dealer about the free repair.
- Ask the dealer for the added foam padding under the seat upholstery, the repair that improves occupant protection in a crash.
- Bring the recall notice if you have it. If not, reference recall number 11V293 when you call.
What happens at the repair
At the dealer, a Collins technician installs additional foam padding under the upholstery in the leg protection zone for the affected school bus seats. The padding is meant to bring the seating area into the required crash protection configuration. The dealer repair will be free once available, with parts and labor covered under recall 11V293. Collins began the safety recall on July 18, 2011.
Timeline
| May 23, 2011 | NHTSA published the recall |
|---|---|
| July 18, 2011 | Owner notification mailed |
Frequently asked questions
What is recall 11V293?
Recall 11V293 covers 702 2002-2011 Collins Bantam, Super Bantam, and Grand Bantam school buses with seating that does not meet the school bus passenger leg protection zone impact requirement. Collins dealers install additional foam padding under the upholstery for free.
What should I do if my 2002-2011 Collins Bantam, Super Bantam, or Grand Bantam is on this recall?
Check your VIN to confirm the specific bus is included in recall 11V293. If it is, contact a Collins dealer to schedule the foam padding installation under the seat upholstery. Reference recall 11V293 when you call. The repair is free.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Federal recall law requires the manufacturer to repair the defect at no cost, and Collins said dealers will install the additional foam padding under the upholstery free of charge.
What is the safety risk?
The safety risk is reduced occupant protection in a crash. The affected seats do not meet the leg protection zone impact requirement for school bus passenger seating, so occupants can sustain injuries during a crash. The dealer repair adds foam padding under the upholstery.
What if I bought this Collins school bus used?
The free repair still applies. Recall coverage follows the VIN, not the first owner. Check your VIN to confirm whether the specific Bantam, Super Bantam, or Grand Bantam is included, then contact a Collins dealer with recall 11V293.
More information
| NHTSA campaign page | nhtsa.gov/vehicle-recalls/11V293000 |
|---|---|
| Collins customer service | 1-800-533-1850 |
| NHTSA recall # | 11V293 |
| NHTSA recall # (full) | 11V293000 |
Source documents
-
Download Recall Document (PDF) (PDF) - Download Defect / Noncompliance Notice (PDF) (PDF)
- Download Recall Acknowledgement (PDF)
This article is generated from NHTSA's primary recall filings and reviewed against the source on June 2, 2026. RecallNotify does not paraphrase NHTSA's consequence language; that text is reproduced as written above. Editorial standards →