Recall 19V211 affects 3,787 2015-2019 Collins school buses for restraining barriers with inadequate unbelted-occupant restraint. Repair is free at any franchised Collins dealer.
Collins is recalling 3,787 2015-2019 DH400, DH516, DE500, and other Collins school buses equipped with HSM 39-INCH FB11 restraining barriers because the barrier can fail to properly restrain an unbelted occupant during hard braking or a crash. The defect increases injury risk, and Collins dealers will complete the free repair.
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 restraining barrier in these 2015-2019 Collins school buses is the padded structure at the front of a passenger seating area. Its job is to help keep an unbelted seat occupant within the seating space during hard braking or a crash. The barrier frame has to hold its shape so it can absorb force as required by school bus passenger seating rules.
On affected buses, the HSM FB11-39 barrier is missing a reinforcing component in the frame. Without that reinforcement, part of the frame can tear during the required forward performance test. That tear lets the applied force move outside the required force and deflection limits, so the barrier does not provide the crash protection required by FMVSS 222.
There is no driving symptom before this problem matters in a hard stop or crash. The affected barrier is identified by inspection: it is 39 inches wide at the back, and barriers built before February 4, 2019 lack the required added component.
Who's affected?
The scope spans DH, DE, TH, and SH bus model families across 2015-2019, with the same seat assembly and barrier component listed for each.
| 2017 Collins DH400 | seat assembly |
|---|---|
| 2018 Collins DH516 | seat assembly |
| 2017 Collins DE500 | seat assembly |
| 2018 Collins DE500 | seat assembly |
| 2017 Collins DE416 | seat assembly |
| 2015 Collins TH400 | seat assembly |
| 2017 Collins TH400 | seat assembly |
| 2018 Collins TH400 | seat assembly |
| 2019 Collins TH400 | seat assembly |
| 2017 Collins SH416 | seat assembly |
| 2019 Collins SH416 | seat assembly |
| 2017 Collins SH400 | seat assembly |
| 2016 Collins DE516 | seat assembly |
| 2017 Collins DE516 | seat assembly |
| 2019 Collins DE516 | seat assembly |
| 2018 Collins DH500 | seat assembly |
| 2019 Collins DE416 | seat assembly |
| 2016 Collins DE416 | seat assembly |
| 2015 Collins DE500 | seat assembly |
| 2016 Collins DH400 | seat assembly |
| 2018 Collins DH400 | seat assembly |
| 2019 Collins DH400 | seat assembly |
| 2015 Collins DE416 | seat assembly |
| 2015 Collins DH516 | seat assembly |
| 2019 Collins DE500 | seat assembly |
| 2016 Collins DE500 | seat assembly |
| 2015 Collins DH400 | seat assembly |
| 2018 Collins DE516 | seat assembly |
| 2015 Collins DE516 | seat assembly |
| 2019 Collins SH400 | seat assembly |
| 2018 Collins SH400 | seat assembly |
| 2016 Collins SH400 | seat assembly |
| 2015 Collins SH400 | seat assembly |
| 2018 Collins SH416 | seat assembly |
| 2016 Collins SH416 | seat assembly |
| 2015 Collins SH416 | seat assembly |
| 2016 Collins DH516 | seat assembly |
| 2016 Collins TH400 | seat assembly |
| 2016 Collins DH500 | seat assembly |
| 2019 Collins DH516 | seat assembly |
| 2015 Collins DH500 | seat assembly |
| 2017 Collins DH500 | seat assembly |
| 2018 Collins DE416 | seat assembly |
| 2017 Collins DH516 | seat assembly |
| 2019 Collins DH500 | seat assembly |
| Units affected | 3,787 |
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?
A restraining barrier that is missing the required reinforcement can fail to properly restrain an unbelted seat occupant, increasing the risk of injury. Drive cautiously, keep passengers belted, and schedule the reinforcement soon if your VIN is included. Repair is free at any franchised Collins dealer.
What should I do?
- Check your VIN to confirm your 2015-2019 Collins DH400, DH516, DE500, DE416, TH400, SH416, SH400, DE516, or DH500 school bus is included in this recall.
- Contact a franchised Collins dealer to schedule the free barrier-frame reinforcement that addresses the unbelted-occupant restraint risk.
- Bring the recall notice if Collins mailed one. If not, reference recall number 19V211 and Collins recall 19E-010 when you call.
- Call Collins customer service at 1-800-533-1850, extension 424, with questions before the appointment.
- Follow the dealer's instructions for using the bus until the barrier-frame reinforcement is complete.
What happens at the repair
At the dealer, a Collins technician reinforces the HSM restraining barrier frame covered by the recall. The repair is free, with parts and labor covered under the recall. Collins has a general reimbursement plan on file for owners who already paid out of pocket for the same barrier frame repair before the recall work was performed. If you have prior repair paperwork, ask Collins customer service or the dealer service desk how to submit documentation under that plan.
| Reimbursement | Reimbursement available |
|---|
Timeline
| March 19, 2019 | NHTSA published the recall |
|---|---|
| March 29, 2019 | Dealer notification began |
| April 5, 2019 | Dealer notification ended |
| April 5, 2019 | Interim owner notification (was planned for this date) |
| April 12, 2019 | Owner notification mailed |
Frequently asked questions
What is recall 19V211?
Recall 19V211 covers 3,787 2015-2019 Collins DH400, DH516, DE500, DE416, TH400, SH416, SH400, DE516, and DH500 school buses with HSM 39-INCH FB11 restraining barriers. In hard braking or a crash, the barrier can fail to properly restrain an unbelted occupant, increasing injury risk.
What should I do if my 2015-2019 Collins school bus is on this recall?
Check your VIN to confirm your specific bus is included in recall 19V211. If it is, contact a franchised Collins dealer or Collins customer service at 1-800-533-1850 to arrange the barrier-frame reinforcement. Reference recall number 19V211 when you call.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Federal recall law requires the manufacturer to repair the defect at no cost. Collins says HSM dealers will reinforce the affected restraining barrier frame free of charge, including parts and labor.
What is the safety risk?
The safety risk is occupant injury during hard braking or a crash. The affected restraining barrier can fail to properly restrain an unbelted seat occupant, which increases injury risk. The fix is a free reinforcement of the barrier frame.
What if I bought this Collins school bus used?
The free recall repair still applies. Recall coverage follows the vehicle, not the first owner. Check your VIN to confirm whether your bus is included, then contact a Collins dealer or Collins customer service and reference recall 19V211.
More information
| NHTSA campaign page | nhtsa.gov/vehicle-recalls/19V211000 |
|---|---|
| Collins customer service | 1-800-533-1850 |
| NHTSA recall # | 19V211 |
| NHTSA recall # (full) | 19V211000 |
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 →