Vehicle recall 79V223000 · October 1, 1979

1975-1978 Van-CON School Bus

The involved vehicles do not conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 209, "seat belt assemblies".

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

Summary: The involved vehicles do not conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 209, "seat belt assemblies". The knurl bar in the buckle does not adequately hold the webbing in place under load.
Remedy: Seat belts will be inspected and, if necessary, a v-shaped metal insert of 16 gauge steel will be fitted over the buckle webbing guide and welded to the inside buckle frame.
Notes: Vehicle description: school buses.system: interior; seat belts.consequences of defect: the defective seat belt will not restrain an occupantduring a crash situation but allow him to travel forwards and possibly sustainserious personal injury.

Recall details

NHTSA campaign: 79V223000
Reported to NHTSA: October 1, 1979
Filed by: VAN-CON, INCORPORATED
Owner notification: January 29, 1980
Vehicles potentially affected: 2,400
Initiated by: NHTSA’s Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance
Components: Seat belts › Front › Buckle assembly

Recall 79V223000 on nhtsa.gov, with the manufacturer’s documents

Vehicles covered

As listed by NHTSA. A recall usually covers only some vehicles of each model and year, often a production date range.

Van-CON School Bus (1975-1978): 1978, 1977, 1976, 1975

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