Recall 17V582 covers 16 2016-2017 Hometown Trolley Streetcar, Mainstreet, and Villager buses for stuck seat belt buckles. Free repair at a franchised Hometown Trolley dealer.
Hometown Trolley is recalling 16 2016-2017 Streetcar, Mainstreet, and Villager trackless trolley buses because the Recaro driver's seat belt buckle can stick in the locked position, leaving the driver unable to latch the belt. Operating a bus with an unlatched driver seat belt increases injury risk in a crash, and Hometown Trolley dealers will complete the recall repair free of charge.
Does this recall apply to your specific vehicle?
The official, free per-VIN recall check is run by NHTSA. Enter your VIN and we'll forward you directly — and add you to a free watchlist so you hear about new recalls for your vehicle.
Check my VIN at NHTSARecallNotify doesn't check your VIN — NHTSA's official tool does. We use your email only to alert you to new recalls.
Watch this vehicle for recalls
Add it to your free watchlist and we will alert you as new federal recalls are posted for your year, make and model. New-recall alerts are rolling out now.
You are on the watchlist.
We will email you as new federal recalls are posted for your vehicle.
What's wrong?
The driver seat belt buckle on the 2016-2017 Hometown Trolley Streetcar, Mainstreet, and Villager is the latch that locks the belt tongue in place. In normal use, the driver inserts the metal tongue into the buckle, the mechanism catches it, and the belt holds the driver in position during a stop or crash.
On affected buses with Recaro Commercial Bus Driver Seats, the buckle is already stuck in the locked position before the belt is inserted. The locking mechanism is latched when it should be open, so the tongue cannot enter and click into place. That leaves the vehicle operator unable to secure the seat belt.
You can see the problem when the driver tries to buckle the belt. If the buckle will not accept the latch plate, or it looks locked before the belt is inserted, that is the warning sign.
Who's affected?
Covers three Hometown Trolley bus models across the 2016 and 2017 model years, all involving seat belt components.
| 2017 Hometown Trolley Streetcar | seat belt |
|---|---|
| 2017 Hometown Trolley Streetcar | seat belt |
| 2016 Hometown Trolley Mainstreet | seat belt |
| 2016 Hometown Trolley Mainstreet | seat belt |
| 2016 Hometown Trolley Villager | seat belt |
| 2016 Hometown Trolley Villager | seat belt |
| 2017 Hometown Trolley Villager | seat belt |
| 2017 Hometown Trolley Villager | seat belt |
| 2017 Hometown Trolley Mainstreet | seat belt |
| 2017 Hometown Trolley Mainstreet | seat belt |
| 2016 Hometown Trolley Streetcar | seat belt |
| 2016 Hometown Trolley Streetcar | seat belt |
| Units affected | 16 |
| Field incidents | NHTSA has logged no field incidents to date. |
A matching year and model does not confirm inclusion. Check your VIN to confirm whether this recall applies to your specific bus.
What's the safety risk?
A seat belt buckle that will not latch leaves the rider unbelted and increases the risk of injury in a crash. If a buckle is stuck in the pre-locked condition or will not latch, keep that seat out of passenger use until it is repaired. Repair is free at any franchised Hometown Trolley dealer.
What should I do?
- Check your VIN to confirm your 2016-2017 Hometown Trolley Streetcar, Mainstreet, or Villager is included in this recall.
- Contact a franchised Hometown Trolley dealer to schedule the free buckle-housing replacement that fixes the seat belt buckle that can stick locked.
- Bring the recall notice if you have it, and reference recall number 17V582 when you call.
- Avoid operating the bus when the driver's seat belt cannot latch.
What happens at the repair
At the dealer, a Hometown Trolley technician replaces the seat belt buckle housings on the affected Recaro driver seats so the belt tongue can insert and lock correctly. The replacement parts and labor are free under recall 17V582. Hometown Trolley has a general reimbursement plan on file for owners who already paid for this buckle housing repair before the recall work. Bring repair paperwork and proof of payment to the service desk, or ask Hometown Trolley customer service about the claim process.
| Reimbursement | Reimbursement available |
|---|
Timeline
| September 20, 2017 | NHTSA published the recall |
|---|---|
| September 27, 2017 | Dealer notification began |
| September 27, 2017 | Interim owner notification (was planned for this date) |
| October 18, 2017 | Dealer notification ended |
| November 10, 2017 | Owner notification mailed |
Frequently asked questions
What is recall 17V582?
Recall 17V582 covers 16 2016-2017 Hometown Trolley Streetcar, Mainstreet, and Villager buses equipped with certain Recaro commercial bus driver seats. The driver seat belt buckle can stay locked, which prevents the seat belt tongue from latching. Hometown Trolley dealers will replace the buckle housings for free.
What should I do if my 2016-2017 Hometown Trolley Streetcar, Mainstreet, or Villager is on this recall?
Check your VIN to confirm your specific bus is included in recall 17V582. If it is, contact a franchised Hometown Trolley dealer to schedule the seat belt buckle housing replacement. Reference recall number 17V582 when you call. The repair is free.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Federal recall law requires the manufacturer to correct the defect at no cost, and the recall remedy says dealers will replace the buckle housings free of charge. Parts and labor are covered at a franchised Hometown Trolley dealer.
What is the safety risk?
The risk is that the driver seat belt cannot be latched. If the bus is operated without the seat belt in use, the driver has an increased risk of injury in a crash. The dealer repair replaces the buckle housings to restore proper latching.
What if I bought the Hometown Trolley bus used?
The free recall repair still applies. Recalls follow the vehicle, not the first owner. Check your VIN to confirm whether your specific Streetcar, Mainstreet, or Villager is included, then call a franchised Hometown Trolley dealer with recall number 17V582.
More information
| NHTSA campaign page | nhtsa.gov/vehicle-recalls/17V582000 |
|---|---|
| Hometown Trolley customer service | 1-248-364-3818 |
| NHTSA recall # | 17V582 |
| NHTSA recall # (full) | 17V582000 |
Source documents
This article is generated from NHTSA's primary recall filings and reviewed against the source on May 25, 2026. RecallNotify does not paraphrase NHTSA's consequence language; that text is reproduced as written above. Editorial standards →