RecallMyCar

Champion Contender Recalls & Complaints by Model Year

NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 1 owner complaint across 4 model years of the Champion Contender (1998–2001). The most-complained-about year is 1999.

3
safety recalls, all years
1
owner complaints, all years
2000
year with most recalls
1999
year with most complaints

Pick your Champion Contender model year

Model yearRecallsComplaints
2001 Champion Contender10
2000 Champion Contender20
1999 Champion Contender11
1998 Champion Contender10

What Champion Contender owners complain about

Across all model years, owners have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA. The 1999 model year has the most, with 1.

All Champion Contender recalls (3)

Every NHTSA safety campaign that lists a Champion Contender, most recent first, with the model years each one covers.

  1. Door (structure)

    NHTSA 06V368000 Reported 22 vehicles potentially affected CHAMPION BUS, INC.

    On certain buses equipped with vapor bus connecting rods, when the connecting rod is subjected to certain load combinations and cumulative cycling, initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks are seen at the external thread roots. If the crack initiates and propagates through the cross section of the connecting rod, it may result in…

    Remedy: Vapor bus is conducting this recall (please see 05e-030). All buses involved in this recall have been repaired.

    Model years: 2000

  2. Retractor (seat belts)

    NHTSA 02V160006 Reported 599 vehicles potentially affected CHAMPION BUS, INC.

    On certain buses equipped with cp traveling retractor lap (type 1) seat belts, the plastic cover housing the reserve end of the seat belt web can break. If the two halves of the cover completely separate, the connector portion of the belt will detach from the cover. Once detached, the connector rivet can separate from the connector…

    Remedy: Amsafe will notify its customers and provide a plastic outer cover that snaps over the existing cover on units in the field and will replace broken seat belts free of charge. Owners who take their vehicles to an…

    Model years: 1999, 2000, 2001

  3. Service brakes, hydraulic

    NHTSA 99V091000 Reported 18 vehicles potentially affected CHAMPION BUS, INC.

    Vehicle description: transit buses built on spartan chassis. Hydraulic fluid reservoir may be mounted lower than recommended which could reduce the flow of hydraulic oil to the power steering pump.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect the vehicles for the reservoir location and the reservoir will be relocated.

    Model years: 1998

Other Champion models

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.