Battery Defect Prompts Safety Recall of Shyft Group’s 2025 Hybrid Buses

A defect in the high-voltage battery packs of certain hybrid buses manufactured by the Shyft Group has led to a formal safety recall. The issue, stemming from improperly seated fasteners within the battery packs, has the potential to cause serious safety risks, including electrical isolation loss, high voltage short circuits, and even battery fires. The recall affects 23 vehicles built earlier this year.

The affected vehicles are model year 2025 Blue Arc BA4L-800 hybrid electric buses, produced between January 27 and February 25, 2025. The safety defect was linked to batteries supplied by Our Next Energy, Inc. (ONE), which initiated its own recall, number 25E022. According to documentation, ONE identified that certain fasteners within the center spline of the battery packs may not have been properly torqued. This could allow foreign substances to enter the battery housing, potentially leading to severe electrical faults.

Warning signs of the defect include dashboard alerts issued by the Battery Management System. Depending on the severity of the isolation fault, the system may disable vehicle charging and propulsion. The manufacturer emphasized that vehicles displaying these issues should not be driven and must undergo inspection immediately.

To address the defect, Shyft Group has implemented a remedy protocol involving vacuum leak testing of the battery packs while installed in the vehicles. Packs that fail this test will undergo further inspection, including high potential (HIPOT) electrical tests and water intrusion checks. Batteries confirmed to be compromised will be replaced with new units. Vehicles that pass inspection will have their battery packs reassembled and cleared for continued use. All affected vehicles are still under warranty.

The recall process began after Shyft was notified of the issue by ONE on March 20, 2025. A stop-ship order was promptly issued, and the company began identifying affected vehicles using battery serial numbers. Dealer and owner notifications are scheduled to begin April 18, 2025.

Article by multiple RFHC contributors, based upon information from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Safety Recall Report submitted by the Shyft Group.

Video Spotlight