RecallMyCar

2013 Champion Defender Recalls, Complaints & Specs

5 safety recalls list the 2013 Champion Defender. Check your own VIN below.

5
safety recalls
0
owner complaints to NHTSA

5 safety recalls for the 2013 Champion Defender

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

  1. Equipment adaptive/mobility

    NHTSA 18V573000 Reported 219 vehicles potentially affected Champion Bus, Inc.

    Champion Bus (Champion) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Champion American Coach, American Crusader, American S2, Challenger, Crusader, Defender, and Impulse vehicles, equipped with certain S-Series and K-Series Titanium Wheelchair Lifts, models K200, K201, K550, K551, S200, S2201, S550 and S551. The wheelchair lift positioning input cam…

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the injection molded cam with an aluminum machined cam, free of charge. The recall began November 1, 2018. Owners may contact Champion customer service 1-810-724-1753 extension 415 or Ricon…

  2. Equipment adaptive/mobility

    NHTSA 15V757000 Reported 1,338 vehicles potentially affected Champion Bus, Inc.

    Champion Bus, Inc. (Champion) is recalling certain model year 2006-2015 Challenger, Defender, Crusader, American, American Coach, American Crusader, Corporal, CTS-FE, CTS-RE, HC American, Platinum Shuttle, and Stacked Rail transit buses manufactured January 1, 2006, to August 25, 2015, equipped with certain model S2005, S2010, S5005,…

    Remedy: Champion will notify owners, and Ricon will inspect the link arms for damage or for displaced bearings. The platform will be inspected for cracks. Any damaged parts will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on…

  3. Webbing (seat belts)

    NHTSA 15V391000 Reported 1,818 vehicles potentially affected Champion Bus, Inc.

    Champion Bus, Inc. (Champion) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 American Crusader, American Coach, Challenger, Crusader, CTS-FE, CTS-RE, Defender, EZ Trans, HCAC, HC, DFUC, LF Transport, Premier, and Spirit transit buses manufactured March 1, 2013, to June 12, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the passenger seat belts may rub…

    Remedy: Champion will notify owners, and dealers will install a plastic sleeve over the metal seat frame, and replace any seat belts that show evidence of fraying, free of charge. The recall began on September 16, 2015. Owners…

  4. Equipment

    NHTSA 14V821000 Reported 773 vehicles potentially affected Champion Bus, Inc.

    Champion Bus, Inc. (Champion) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 American Crusader, Challenger, Crusader, CTS-FE, CTS-RE, Defender, EZ-Street, HC American, HCAC, LF Transport, M1235, Platinum Shuttle, Stacked Rail, and Federal Coach Premier, and Spirit transit buses manufactured January 1, 2012, to October 1, 2014, equipped with…

    Remedy: Champion will notify owners to inspect their triangles for production dates between April 2011, to April 2014, and the affected triangles will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on January 6, 2015. Owners…

  5. Equipment adaptive/mobility

    NHTSA 14V742000 Reported 1,229 vehicles potentially affected Champion Bus, Inc.

    Champion Bus, Inc. (Champion Bus) is recalling certain model year 2006-2014 American Coach, American Crusader, Challenger, Corporal, Crusader, CTS-FE, CTS-RE, Defender, HCAC, HC American, Platinum Shuttle, and Stacked Rail transit buses manufactured January 1, 2006, to July 31, 2014, equipped with certain model S2005, S2010, S5005,…

    Remedy: Champion Bus will notify owners to take buses to a Ricon dealer or service center who will install supplemental platform support bumpers. Any platform that has already started cracking will be replaced, free of charge.…

No owner complaints on file

NHTSA has no owner complaints on file for the 2013 Champion Defender. For context, the average model year in NHTSA's database has dozens; a zero can mean a reliable vehicle, a rare one, or both.

Compare Champion Defender model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Champion Defender model year in NHTSA's database.

Model yearRecallsComplaints
1999 Champion Defender10
2000 Champion Defender30
2001 Champion Defender30
2002 Champion Defender20
2003 Champion Defender20
2004 Champion Defender20
2005 Champion Defender40
2006 Champion Defender50
2007 Champion Defender100
2008 Champion Defender110
2009 Champion Defender90
2010 Champion Defender70
2011 Champion Defender30
2012 Champion Defender40
2013 Champion Defender50
2014 Champion Defender60
2015 Champion Defender40
2016 Champion Defender10
2017 Champion Defender20
2018 Champion Defender20
2019 Champion Defender10

Checking a specific 2013 Champion Defender

How do I know if my 2013 Champion Defender has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 5 campaigns currently list the 2013 Champion Defender; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Champion dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 14V742000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

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.