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Federal filingsHome›Recalls› 26V479000
NHTSA campaign 26V479000

2017–2026 Arboc Spirit OF Independence: suspension recall

The rear spring hanger may detach from the frame, increasing the risk of a crash.

high 502 vehicles affected 0% reported repaired

What was reported

Source: manufacturer filing, 49 CFR Part 573
Problem ARBOC Specialty Vehicles, LLC (ARBOC) is recalling certain 2017-2026 Spirit of Independence transit buses. The wrong size washers may have been installed on the rear spring hanger bolts. Risk The rear spring hanger may detach from the frame, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will install the correct washers, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 9, 2026. Owners may contact ARBOC customer service at 1-866-953-5555.

Reported to NHTSA Jul 24, 2026 by ARBOC Specialty Vehicles, LLC, owners notified Sep 9, 2026.

What that means, in plain English

Source: WhichTrim's reading of the filing above — not NHTSA's wording

Rear spring hanger detaching from the frame is a suspension failure that could cause loss of vehicle control, but the filing uses hedged language ('may detach') and the root cause is wrong-size washers rather than an immediate failure, placing it at high rather than critical.

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 notice
Stop-sale Yes: the bulletin says the vehicle may not be sold or delivered until repaired
Remedy No availability line in the dealer notice

The advisory, as filed: “Please remember it is a violation of Federal law for a dealer to deliver a new motor vehicle under a sale or lease until the issue is remedied.”

Read from NHTSA’s copy of the manufacturer’s dealer documents. 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 26V479000

Vehicles built Jan 16, 2017 to Jul 17, 2026 — a VIN outside that window is not part of this campaign even if the year, make and model match.

Model yearOn WhichTrim
2017 Arboc Spirit OF Independence—
2018 Arboc Spirit OF Independence—
2019 Arboc Spirit OF Independence—
2020 Arboc Spirit OF Independence—
2021 Arboc Spirit OF Independence—
2022 Arboc Spirit OF Independence—
2023 Arboc Spirit OF Independence—
2024 Arboc Spirit OF Independence—
2025 Arboc Spirit OF Independence—
2026 Arboc Spirit OF Independence—

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 573.7
Reported repaired 0%

of the campaign

One quarter into a six-quarter reporting window — early, and expected to climb.

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.gov

Check 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 26V479000

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.

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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.

Photo: Taiga Miyamoto / Unsplash

Common questions

Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR Part 573

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. This campaign covers vehicles built Jan 16, 2017 to Jul 17, 2026. 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 the manufacturer. 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.