Recall 19V870 covers 35 2017-2019 Arboc Specialty Vehicles Spirit Of Mobility and Spirit Of Freedom buses for breakable roof hatch handles. Repair is free.
Arboc Specialty Vehicles is recalling 35 2017-2019 Spirit Of Mobility and Spirit Of Freedom vehicles because the external handle on the Specialty Prolo roof hatch can break under reasonable use. If the handle breaks, someone outside the vehicle cannot easily open the hatch in an emergency, increasing injury risk; Arboc Specialty Vehicles dealers will complete the free repair.
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What's wrong?
The Specialty Prolo roof hatch on 2017-2019 Arboc Specialty Vehicles Spirit Of Mobility and Spirit Of Freedom buses is part of the emergency exit system. The hatch is mounted in the roof, and the external handle gives someone outside the bus a way to release or open it during emergency access.
On the recalled buses, the external handle has excess void and porosity. In plain terms, the handle material contains empty pockets that weaken it. Under ordinary pulling or lifting, the handle can break instead of operating the hatch. Arboc Specialty Vehicles traced the issue to vendor-supplied handles installed during the affected production period.
There is no warning sign before failure. The handle can look normal until it breaks under use, so owners or service staff need to check the label on the bottom of the Prolo Hatch and confirm whether the part falls within the replacement campaign.
Who's affected?
Covers both Spirit Of Mobility and Spirit Of Freedom, with the same emergency-exit structure component listed across 2017-2019.
| 2018 Arboc Specialty Vehicles Spirit Of Mobility | body or structural component |
|---|---|
| 2018 Arboc Specialty Vehicles Spirit Of Freedom | body or structural component |
| 2017 Arboc Spirit Of Freedom | body or structural component |
| 2019 Arboc Specialty Vehicles Spirit Of Freedom | body or structural component |
| 2019 Arboc Specialty Vehicles Spirit Of Mobility | body or structural component |
| 2017 Arboc Spirit Of Mobility | body or structural component |
| Units affected | 35 |
| Field incidents | NHTSA has logged no field incidents to date. |
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 broken roof hatch external handle makes emergency access from outside the vehicle harder. During an emergency, that delay increases the risk of injury for passengers who need help through the roof hatch. Schedule the handle replacement and keep the roof hatch area clear until the repair is complete. Repair is free at any franchised Arboc Specialty Vehicles dealer.
What should I do?
- Check your VIN to confirm your 2017-2019 Arboc Specialty Vehicles Spirit Of Mobility or Spirit Of Freedom is included in this recall.
- Contact a franchised Arboc Specialty Vehicles dealer to schedule the free roof hatch handle replacement that fixes the external handle breakage.
- Bring the recall notice if Arboc Specialty Vehicles sent one. If not, reference recall number 19V870 when you call.
- Call Arboc Specialty Vehicles customer service at 1-866-953-5555 with questions about scheduling or repair status.
- Avoid relying on the roof hatch as an outside emergency opening until the handle is replaced.
What happens at the repair
At the dealer, an Arboc Specialty Vehicles technician replaces the exterior handles on the Specialty Prolo roof hatches. The recall is open, so the dealer can perform this repair now, and the handle replacement is free. Parts and labor are covered under recall 19V870. If you already paid for this roof hatch handle repair, Specialty Manufacturing says it will reimburse each customer directly. Ask the service desk how to submit repair documentation for that direct reimbursement.
| Reimbursement | Reimbursement available |
|---|
Timeline
| December 9, 2019 | NHTSA published the recall |
|---|---|
| December 19, 2019 | Owner notification mailed |
| January 6, 2020 | Dealer notification began |
| January 6, 2020 | Dealer notification ended |
| January 6, 2020 | Interim owner notification (was planned for this date) |
Frequently asked questions
What is recall 19V870?
Recall 19V870 covers 35 2017-2019 Arboc Specialty Vehicles Spirit Of Mobility and Spirit Of Freedom vehicles equipped with Specialty Prolo Roof Hatches. The external roof hatch handle can break under reasonable use, which means the hatch cannot be easily opened from outside during an emergency and increases injury risk.
What should I do if my 2017-2019 Arboc Specialty Vehicles Spirit Of Mobility or Spirit Of Freedom is on this recall?
Check your VIN to confirm your specific vehicle is included in recall 19V870. If it is, contact an Arboc Specialty Vehicles service contact or franchised dealer to arrange the roof hatch handle replacement. Reference recall number 19V870 when you call. The repair is free.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Federal recall law requires manufacturers to repair safety defects at no cost, and Specialty replaces the roof hatch handles free of charge for this recall. Parts and labor are covered for included vehicles.
What is the safety risk with recall 19V870?
The safety risk is emergency access from outside the vehicle. If the roof hatch external handle breaks, the hatch cannot be easily opened from outside during an emergency, increasing the risk of injury. The fix is a free roof hatch handle replacement.
When did the recall repair become available?
The recall repair became available when the recall began on December 19, 2019. Arboc Specialty Vehicles notified owners, and Specialty replaces the roof hatch handles free of charge for included 2017-2019 Spirit Of Mobility and Spirit Of Freedom vehicles.
More information
| NHTSA campaign page | nhtsa.gov/vehicle-recalls/19V870000 |
|---|---|
| Arboc Specialty Vehicles customer service | 1-866-953-5555 |
| NHTSA recall # | 19V870 |
| NHTSA recall # (full) | 19V870000 |
Source documents
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Download Misc. Document (PDF) - Download Recall Report (PDF)
- Download Quarterly Report (PDF)
- Download Recall Acknowledgement (PDF)
This article is generated from NHTSA's primary recall filings and reviewed against the source on May 23, 2026. RecallNotify does not paraphrase NHTSA's consequence language; that text is reproduced as written above. Editorial standards →