Recall 18V365 affects 5 2016 Van-Con 33803 Dual Rear-Wheel school buses for improperly bonded roof panel seams. Van-Con handles the free repair.
Van-Con is recalling 5 2016 33803 Dual Rear-Wheel school buses because the roof panel seams were not correctly bonded and can separate in a crash. If those panels separate, occupants face a higher risk of injury; Van-Con dealers will complete the recall repair free of charge.
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What's wrong?
The roof panel seams on the 2016 Van-Con 33803 Dual Rear-Wheel school bus are the joints where roof panels are bonded and fastened to the bus body. Those joints help the roof panels stay attached to the surrounding structure, including during a crash. School bus body joints are supposed to hold together with enough strength to meet the federal body joint strength standard.
On this bus, blue vinyl film was left in the joint during assembly. That film kept the bonding surfaces from joining correctly, so the roof panel seam had movement it should not have had. Van-Con traced the problem to an inexperienced employee who did not follow the normal panel-joining procedure during holiday production.
There is no warning sign before failure. The defect is inside the roof body joint, so an owner or driver is not expected to feel a change while driving or see a dashboard warning light before a crash exposes the weak joint.
Who's affected?
| 2016 Van-Con 33803 Dual Rear-Wheel | body structure |
|---|---|
| 2016 Van-Con 33803 Dual Rear-Wheel | body or structural component |
| Units affected | 5 |
| Field incidents | NHTSA has logged 3 field incidents to date. |
A matching year and model does not guarantee inclusion. Check your VIN to confirm whether your specific vehicle is included.
What's the safety risk?
If the roof panels separate during a crash, occupants face a higher risk of injury. Until the repair is complete, avoid unnecessary trips and schedule service soon. Use the VIN result and dealer guidance to decide the next step for this bus. Repair is free at any franchised Van-Con dealer.
What should I do?
- Check your VIN to confirm your 2016 Van-Con 33803 Dual Rear-Wheel is included in this recall.
- Contact Van-Con customer service at 1-732-356-8484 to arrange the roof-panel seam repair that keeps the roof panels bonded in a crash.
- Have the bus VIN and recall number 18V365 ready when you call.
- Ask Van-Con where the repair will be completed and confirm that parts and labor are covered.
- Limit use of the bus until the roof-panel seam repair is complete.
What happens at the repair
For this recall, contact Van-Con customer service at 1-732-356-8484 to arrange the repair for the roof panel seam bonding issue. A Van-Con technician will address the roof panel seams covered by the campaign, and the recall work is free of charge. Van-Con says the purchaser of the affected bus already knows about the issue, so no owner notification letter will be mailed. If you already paid for a related roof panel seam repair, Van-Con has a general reimbursement plan on file. Ask customer service how to submit repair documentation.
| Reimbursement | Reimbursement available |
|---|
Timeline
| May 18, 2018 | NHTSA published the recall |
|---|---|
| June 15, 2018 | Owner notification mailed |
Frequently asked questions
What is recall 18V365?
Recall 18V365 covers 5 2016 Van-Con 33803 Dual Rear-Wheel school buses with roof panel joints that were not correctly bonded. If the roof panels separate in a crash, occupants face an increased risk of injury. Van-Con has a repair path available.
What should I do if my 2016 Van-Con 33803 Dual Rear-Wheel is on this recall?
Check your VIN to confirm whether your specific bus is included in recall 18V365. If it is, contact Van-Con customer service at 1-732-356-8484 and reference recall 18V365. Ask how the roof panel joint repair will be handled before carrying passengers.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Federal recall law requires the manufacturer to correct the defect at no cost to the owner. Van-Con is responsible for the recall repair for included 2016 33803 Dual Rear-Wheel buses.
What is the safety risk?
The listed safety risk is occupant injury during a crash. The roof panel seams were not correctly bonded, so the roof panels can separate in a crash. Confirm the bus by VIN and arrange the recall repair before regular passenger service.
More information
| NHTSA campaign page | nhtsa.gov/vehicle-recalls/18V365000 |
|---|---|
| Van-Con customer service | 1-732-356-8484 |
| NHTSA recall # | 18V365 |
| NHTSA recall # (full) | 18V365000 |
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 →