Proterra Catalyst 2021 Bus Recall: Parking Brake May Cause Crash
Proterra is recalling certain 2020-2021 Catalyst and 2019-2022 ZX5 transit buses due to parking brake engaging unintentionally while moving, risking a crash. Owners will receive free repairs.
Use caution until it’s fixed
Unintentional engagement of the parking brake increases the risk of a crash.
Contact the company
What happened, in plain English
Proterra is recalling specific 2020-2021 Catalyst and 2019-2022 ZX5 transit buses because the parking brake can engage unintentionally while the bus is moving, increasing crash risk. Owners must contact Proterra for a free repair to prevent this hazard. Read more at govinfonow.com/recall/80650-proterra-catalyst-2021-bus-recall-parking-brake-may-cause-crash.
Source Summary by GovInfoNow · govinfonow.com/recall/80650-proterra-catalyst-2021-bus-recall-parking-brake-may-cause-crash · Updated October 4, 2026 · Official notice: NHTSA #22V855000
Cite this page
“Proterra Catalyst 2021 Bus Recall: Parking Brake May Cause Crash.” GovInfoNow, updated October 4, 2026. https://govinfonow.com/recall/80650-proterra-catalyst-2021-bus-recall-parking-brake-may-cause-crash. Based on NHTSA recall #22V855000 (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=22V855000).
Why it’s dangerous
The shared air exhaust system for the ride height and parking brake can create back pressure that accidentally activates the parking brake while the bus is moving. This could cause the bus to stop unexpectedly, increasing crash risk.
Who’s affected
Bus owners who purchased a 2020-2021 Catalyst or 2019-2022 ZX5 transit bus from Proterra are affected. Drivers and passengers on these buses are at risk if the parking brake engages unintentionally.
How to tell if you have this one
Check if your bus has a Proterra Catalyst model from 2020-2021 or ZX5 model from 2019-2022. The recall was announced in December 2022 with owner notifications mailed to affected owners.
- Brand
Proterra- Category
Vehicle
What to do — step by step
Contact Proterra
Call Proterra's customer service at 1-864-438-0000 to schedule a free repair for the redesigned air circuit.
What NHTSA says to do
Proterra will install a redesigned air circuit, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on December 21, 2022. Owners may contact Proterra's customer service at 1-864-438-0000.
How this recall unfolded
Recall timeline
Owners were mailed letters 33 days after NHTSA received the defect report.
- NHTSA received the defect report
- Owner letters mailed
Dates from the agency record only; steps without a date are left out.
Contact Proterra
We’ve drafted a message you can send Proterra to request your refund or repair — edit it as you like.
Subject: Recall 22V855000 — Proterra Catalyst 2021 Bus Recall: Parking Brake May Cause Crash Hello, I own a Proterra Catalyst 2021 Bus Recall: Parking Brake May Cause Crash that is covered by recall 22V855000 from Proterra. The official recall notice states: Proterra will install a redesigned air circuit, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on December 21, 2022. Owners may contact Proterra's customer service at 1-864-438-0000. I’m writing to arrange the remedy described in the recall (a refund, repair, or replacement as applicable). Could you please tell me the next steps to resolve this? Thank you.
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Where this comes from
The facts (hazard, remedy, dates, manufacturer) are pulled from the official NHTSA recall record. The plain-language summary and step-by-step checklist are written by GovInfoNow to make the official notice easier to act on — they don’t replace it.
- Official source: NHTSA Recall #22V855000 (November 18, 2022)
- Plain-language summary written by qwen3:4b on October 4, 2026, from the official record above. Not reviewed by a person — if it conflicts with the NHTSA notice, the notice is correct. Report an error on this page.
- GovInfoNow is an independent service and is not a government agency. We republish official NHTSA recall data; we don’t issue, amend or administer recalls.