Vehicle recall 12V330000 · July 11, 2012
Turtle Top Odyssey, Terra Transport and 3 more models
Increased friction between the rear plate assemblies, p/no.
Source: NHTSA data as of September 22, 2026. Last refreshed Sep 23, 2026, 2:43 AM UTC.
- Summary
- Turtle Top is recalling certain model year 2010 through 2012 commercial buses manufactured from April 1, 2011, through March 25, 2012, equipped with Specialty Manufacturing Inc. (SMI) Prolo roof hatches. Increased friction between the rear plate assemblies, p/no. 009327, and the nylon rear pop-up support, p/no. 008956, may result in an opening force of the Prolo roof hatches that exceeds federal standard requirements. Thus, these hatches fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 217, "Bus Emergency Exits and Window Retention and Release."
- Consequence
- In the event of an emergency, passengers' exit from the bus may be hindered possibly resulting in injury to the vehicle occupants.
- Remedy
- Turtle Top will notify owners. SMI will provide service kits along with repair instructions to dealers and owners, free of charge. The safety recall began on August 16, 2012. Owners may contact Turtle Top at 1-574-831-4349 or SMI at 1-800-951-7867.
- Notes
- Customers may contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
Recall details
- NHTSA campaign
- 12V330000
- Reported to NHTSA
- July 11, 2012
- Filed by
- TURTLE TOP
- Owner notification
- August 16, 2012
- Vehicles potentially affected
- 361
- Initiated by
- NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation
- Components
- Structure › Body › Roof and pillars
Vehicles covered
As listed by NHTSA. A recall usually covers only some vehicles of each model and year, often a production date range.
- Turtle Top Odyssey (2010-2012): 2012, 2011, 2010
- Turtle Top Odyssey LT (2011): 2011
- Turtle Top Odyssey XL (2011-2012): 2012, 2011
- Turtle Top Terra Transport (2010-2012): 2012, 2011, 2010
- Turtle Top Vanterra (2011-2012): 2012, 2011
Has your Turtle Top 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.
NHTSA’s VIN search doesn’t show recalls that were already repaired, recalls more than 15 years old, or some small manufacturers’ recalls. A Turtle Top dealer can also check your VIN. Recall repairs are free.