Recall 12V506 affects 657 2010 Gillig Low Floor buses for emergency window handles that can break. Repair is free at any franchised Gillig dealer.
Gillig is recalling 657 2010 Low Floor transit buses equipped with Ricon 3-Minute Urban Transit Bus Window sets because the emergency egress window handle can break before the latch releases. If the handle fails during an emergency, passengers can be trapped inside and face injury risk; the Gillig dealer repair will be free once available.
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What's wrong?
The emergency egress passenger windows on the 2010 Gillig Low Floor bus are side windows designed to open from inside the bus during an evacuation. Their release handle is the part a passenger or operator pulls to unlatch the window, so the window opens when a normal exit is blocked.
On affected buses equipped with Ricon 3-Minute Urban Transit Bus Window sets, the handle was cast from material with the wrong composition. That reduced the strength of the handle itself. Instead of holding together while the latch releases, the handle can break before the latch moves, leaving the emergency window closed when it is needed.
There is no warning sign before failure. The problem is inside the handle material, so an owner or operator would not have a clear symptom during normal service before someone tries to open the egress window.
Who's affected?
| 2010 Gillig Low Floor | visibility component |
|---|---|
| Units affected | 657 |
A matching year and model does not guarantee inclusion. Check your VIN to confirm whether your specific bus is included.
What's the safety risk?
During an emergency, a failed egress window handle can keep passengers from exiting through that window. That can leave people trapped in the vehicle and at risk of injury. Schedule the handle replacement soon. Repair will be free at any franchised Gillig dealer once available.
What should I do?
- Check your VIN to confirm your 2010 Gillig Low Floor is included in this recall.
- Contact a franchised Gillig dealer to ask about the free window-handle replacement that restores emergency egress window operation.
- Bring the recall notice if Gillig mailed one. If not, reference recall number 12V506 when you call.
- Keep the emergency egress windows accessible until the repair is complete, and report broken passenger-window handles when scheduling service.
What happens at the repair
At the dealer, a Gillig technician replaces the emergency egress passenger window handles covered by campaign 12V506. The source remedy says owner notices began during October 2012 and that dealers replace the handles free of charge. The handle material was not strong enough, so the repair focuses on replacing the window handles that release the emergency exit windows. This campaign page does not list the remedy as available, so treat the dealer repair as free once Gillig confirms it is open for the VIN.
Timeline
| October 18, 2012 | NHTSA published the recall |
|---|---|
| October 29, 2012 | Owner notification mailed |
Frequently asked questions
What is recall 12V506?
Recall 12V506 covers 657 2010 Gillig Low Floor transit buses equipped with Ricon 3-Minute Urban Transit Bus Window sets. The emergency egress window handle material has reduced strength, so the handle can break before the latch releases. Gillig dealers replace the window handles for free.
What should I do if my 2010 Gillig Low Floor is on this recall?
Check your VIN to confirm your specific bus is included in recall 12V506. If it is, contact a Gillig dealer or Gillig at 1-800-735-1500 to schedule the emergency egress window handle replacement. The recall repair is free.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Federal recall law requires the manufacturer to repair the defect at no cost, and Gillig's remedy for recall 12V506 is free replacement of the affected emergency egress window handles through its dealer network.
What is the safety risk?
The safety risk in recall 12V506 is passenger entrapment during an emergency. If an emergency egress window handle fails before the latch releases, passengers can be trapped inside the bus, placing them at risk of injury. The fix is replacement of the affected handles.
More information
| NHTSA campaign page | nhtsa.gov/vehicle-recalls/12V506000 |
|---|---|
| Gillig customer service | 1-800-735-1500 |
| NHTSA recall # | 12V506 |
| NHTSA recall # (full) | 12V506000 |
Source documents
-
Download Recall Document (PDF) (PDF) - Download Owner Notification Letter (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 →