RoadVitals

2018 Arboc Specialty Vehicles Spirit Of Freedom

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
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Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
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Latest Mar 11, 2026
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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Overview

Our database contains no NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2018 Arboc Specialty Vehicles Spirit Of Freedom. 3 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 2 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Safety recalls

3 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
26V137000

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

Mar 11, 2026
908 units potentially affected
The defect: ARBOC Specialty Vehicles, LLC (ARBOC) is recalling certain 2018-2026 Spirit of Freedom and Spirit of Mobility transit buses. The rear brake lines may have been installed incorrectly causing the anti-lock brake system (ABS) modulator valve to malfunction. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 105, "Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems."
The risk: Loss of the rear ABS system can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy: ARBOC will provide instructions to reroute and re-connect the rear brake lines, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 17, 2026. Owners may contact ARBOC customer service at 1-866-953-5555.
ARBOC Specialty Vehicles, LLCView on NHTSA.gov
19V870000

STRUCTURE:EMERGENCY:ESCAPE/EGRESS/EXIT

Dec 9, 2019
35 units potentially affected
The defect: ARBOC Specialty Vehicles, LLC (ARBOC) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Spirit of Freedom and Spirit of Mobility vehicles equipped with Specialty Prolo Roof Hatches. The roof hatch external handle may unexpectedly break under reasonable use. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 217, "Bus Emergency Exits and Window Retention and Release."
The risk: If the roof hatch external handle breaks, in the event of an emergency, the hatch cannot be easily opened from outside the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy: ARBOC will notify owners, and Specialty will replace the roof hatch handles free of charge. The recall began December 19, 2019. Owners may contact ARBOC customer service at 1-866-953-5555 or Specialty customer service at 1-800-951-7867.
ARBOC Specialty Vehicles, LLCView on NHTSA.gov
18V813000

SEATS

Nov 16, 2018
62 units potentially affected
The defect: ARBOC Specialty Vehicles, LLC (ARBOC) is recalling certain 2015-2018 ARBOC Spirit of Freedom, Spirit of Mobility and Spirit of Independence-Pro Master 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."
The risk: In the event of a crash, if the seat back moves, the seat occupant has an increased risk of injury.
The remedy: ARBOC has notified owners, directing them to contact Freedman for repairs of the foldaway seat, free of charge. The recall began November 29, 2018. Owners may contact Freedman customer service at 1-800-443-4540 or ARBOC at 1-574-825-4880.
ARBOC Specialty Vehicles, LLCManufacturer number NAView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

No owner complaints recorded for this model year

Either none have been filed with NHTSA, or this vehicle is too new for reports to have accumulated.

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

AR878

STRUCTURE; SUSPENSION

AR878- 2018-2019 Spirit of Freedom (SOF-F) Front Frame Reinforcement-Complaint: Structural stress crack of chassis frame at front of rear suspension. Cause: Concentrated stress loads. Correction: Drill stop holes into frame, weld cracks and weld provided reinforcement plate to affected area. Vehicles Affected: 2018/2019 Spirit of Independence-Ford. Labor Op code: 0127801. Labor Time Allowance: 4.0 hrs. per unit. Parts Return: No. Pre Auth Required: Yes.

AR865

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING; EQUIPMENT

AR865-Rear Coolant Line Clamp Inspection-Complaint-Metrolynx contractual concerns with inconsistent coolant line connections. Cause-Incorrect/inconsistent coolant line connections located on Sarnia units. Correction-Complete visual inspection by removing internal hose cover.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Arboc Specialty Vehicles Spirit Of Freedom by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026020—
2025030—
2024010—
2023010—
2022010—
2021020—
2020010—
2019020—
2018Viewing030—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.