Does the 2018 Champion Defender have any recalls?

2 recalls found in NHTSA data as of September 22, 2026, covering: seats, equipment adaptive/mobility. Recalls apply to the model and year; whether a particular vehicle is included, and whether it has been repaired, depends on its VIN.

How do I check if my 2018 Champion Defender recall has been fixed?

Enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or ask a Champion dealer. Recall repairs are free. NHTSA's VIN search doesn't list recalls that were already repaired.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Champion Defender?

0 complaints filed with NHTSA. Complaints are unverified reports from the public that NHTSA uses to decide what to investigate.

2018 Champion Defender recalls

Source: NHTSA data as of September 22, 2026. Last refreshed Sep 23, 2026, 2:43 AM UTC.

2 recalls found in NHTSA data as of September 22, 2026

For the 2018 Champion Defender. These apply to the model and year, not to one particular vehicle: check your VIN to see whether yours is included and whether it has been repaired.

Has your Champion been repaired?

Recalls here come from NHTSA’s records for the model and year. Not every vehicle of a model is included in every recall, and this site can’t see whether a repair has been done. Only a VIN lookup can tell you that.

Check your VIN with NHTSA

NHTSA’s VIN search doesn’t show recalls that were already repaired, recalls more than 15 years old, or some small manufacturers’ recalls. A Champion dealer can also check your VIN. Recall repairs are free.

2018 Champion Defender recalls, newest first

November 12, 2018NHTSA 18V79800076 vehicles potentially affected

Seats

Summary: Champion Bus, Inc. (Champion) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Champion Challenger, Defender, LF Transport, Goshen G-Force, and Impulse transit buses, equipped with Freedman GO-ES Foldaway Seats, part numbers 43705, 45467, 48923, and 75719. When the back seat cushion is rotated from the stowed position to the upright position, the seat cushion may not remain locked into place when under load, such as in a crash or a sudden stop. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems," and number 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the seat back moves, the seat occupant has an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: Champion will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair the foldaway seat, free of charge. The recall began December 19, 2018. Owners may contact Champion customer service at 1-810-724-1753, extension 415 or Freedman customer service at 1-800-527-7477.

This recall on nhtsa.gov

August 30, 2018NHTSA 18V573000219 vehicles potentially affected

Equipment adaptive/mobility

Summary: 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 may fail while the lift is in use, allowing the platform to travel higher than the vehicle's floor height.
Consequence: If the wheelchair lift platform stops above the vehicle floor, the wheelchair user can tip inwards toward the vehicle when exiting the lift, increasing their risk of injury.
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 customer service at 1-800-322-2884 or by emailing Ricon at Admin18E044@wabtec.com.

This recall on nhtsa.gov

Owner complaints

No owner complaints about the 2018 Champion Defender were found in NHTSA’s complaint data.

Other Champion Defender years

Other 2018 Champion models

Most recalled 2018 vehicles

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All of 2018’s most recalled vehicles

Questions

Does the 2018 Champion Defender have any recalls?: 2 recalls found in NHTSA data as of September 22, 2026, covering: seats, equipment adaptive/mobility. Recalls apply to the model and year; whether a particular vehicle is included, and whether it has been repaired, depends on its VIN.
How do I check if my 2018 Champion Defender recall has been fixed?: Enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or ask a Champion dealer. Recall repairs are free. NHTSA's VIN search doesn't list recalls that were already repaired.
How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Champion Defender?: 0 complaints filed with NHTSA. Complaints are unverified reports from the public that NHTSA uses to decide what to investigate.