2017–2020 MCI J4500: engine and engine cooling recall
The spilled coolant may increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, transferring passengers from the disabled bus can increase their risk of injury.
What was reported
Source: manufacturer filing, 49 CFR Part 573Reported to NHTSA Aug 31, 2020 by Motor Coach Industries, owners notified Oct 30, 2020.
What that means, in plain English
Source: WhichTrim's reading of the filing above — not NHTSA's wordingThe coolant hose failure leads to engine shutdown (stranding the vehicle) and coolant spill on the roadway, but does not directly cause loss of vehicle control or fire; the crash risk cited is indirect (disabled bus transfer hazard) and the engine shuts down in a controlled sequence rather than fail
Written for us by a language model from the manufacturer's filed text, which is quoted in full above. Where the two differ, the filing is the record and this is only our summary of it.
The fix, from the dealer bulletin
Source: NHTSA remedy instructions and dealer noticeSpecial tools
- No special tools required FCP 486
- Coolant Hoses Replacement HVAC Coolant hose replacement This section impacts certain coaches equipped with ISX, DD13 eng
- 2 19-4-205 2 EA Clamp-Stepless Spring, Constant Torque
- 1.56-1.77 DIA 5.2 Replacing the coolant hose Remove and save the evaporator door in the Baggage Bay #3 compartment Remov
- Remove and save the evaporator door Locate the coolant hose 16-11-1970
- FCP 486
- Coolant Hoses Replacement Remove and save the nuts and bolts securing clamp on the coolant hose. Save the clamp Remove a
- 4-205. Torque the clamps to 18 In-Lb
Read from NHTSA’s copy of the manufacturer’s dealer documents (manufacturer campaign SB 486). The procedure itself is in the bulletin; a franchised dealer has the current copy on the manufacturer’s portal, and that copy governs. Working a lot or a fleet? Recall Watch carries this line on every VIN it checks: remedy status, hours, stop-sale.
Which vehicles are covered
Source: NHTSA campaign 20V526000| Model year | On WhichTrim |
|---|---|
| 2017 MCI J4500 | — |
| 2018 MCI J4500 | — |
| 2019 MCI J4500 | — |
| 2020 MCI J4500 | — |
None of the vehicles this campaign names has a page on WhichTrim: the catalogue covers the cars, trucks and SUVs the EPA certifies from 2016 on, and these vehicles fall outside it — older model years, or motorhomes, trailers, buses, motorcycles and chassis cabs the EPA does not rate. The campaign record above is complete as filed, and whether one specific vehicle is included is settled by its VIN. Other campaigns on vehicles without a page here →
How much of it has been fixed
Source: manufacturer quarterly report, 49 CFR 573.7of the campaign
The final figure: the six quarters of reporting that 49 cfr 573.7 requires have closed.
This is the manufacturer's own cumulative count of vehicles it has inspected and repaired, divided by the vehicles the campaign covers. It files that count with NHTSA every quarter for six consecutive quarters, starting from the quarter in which owners were told a remedy was ready, and then the obligation ends — so a figure on an older campaign is where the count stopped, not where it stands today.
It rarely reaches 100%, and not because the work was not done. The same report asks manufacturers to count vehicles they could not reach at all — exported, stolen, scrapped, or simply never located — and those stay in the denominator. A low number means a lot of these vehicles are still out there unrepaired; it does not tell you which ones.
The federal paperwork
Source: nhtsa.govCheck one specific vehicle
A recall applies to a build range, so year, make and model cannot settle it. Type the VIN and the WhichTrim recall report checks this campaign’s build window and engine against it.
Campaign 20V526000 · the manufacturer calls it SB 486
Own one, or run a fleet? Recall Watch checks each VIN against every new NHTSA campaign and emails you when one lands, this one's expansions included. Or take a free one-line alert by model year.
NHTSA’s investigation file links this recall to preliminary evaluation PE20001.
A recall covers a build range. Only your VIN settles it.
Check it with the WhichTrim recall report now, or have us check it every night and email you when something new is filed.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR Part 573Is SB 486 the same recall as 20V526000?
Yes. SB 486 is the number Motor Coach Industries uses for this campaign in its own paperwork and in the letter it sends owners. 20V526000 is the number NHTSA files it under. One recall, two references — dealers and service departments generally quote the manufacturer's.
Does this recall repair cost anything?
No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to remedy a safety defect or a compliance failure at no charge, for vehicles up to 15 years old measured from the date of first sale. A dealer that asks you to pay for a recall repair is in the wrong.
How do I know whether my vehicle is included?
By VIN, not by model year. The manufacturer files a build range with NHTSA and only vehicles inside it are covered, so two identical-looking cars from the same year can differ. NHTSA's own lookup checks a VIN against the manufacturer's list.
What if the repair is not available yet?
It happens, and often. Manufacturers must notify owners when a defect is found even if the parts or the software are not ready, then notify them a second time once the remedy exists. The remedy filed for this campaign is described above.
What did the manufacturer say was wrong?
The problem, risk and fix quoted on this page are the manufacturer's own words as filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR Part 573. WhichTrim does not paraphrase them.
Who started this recall?
NHTSA's record credits NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. NHTSA’s investigation file links this recall to preliminary evaluation PE20001. A recall can begin with the manufacturer's own testing, with a defect investigation, or with a compliance test against a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.