Proterra Catalyst 2021 Buses: Power Steering Failure Risk
Proterra is recalling certain 2019-2022 Catalyst 800V and ZX5 800V transit buses due to potential power steering and drive power loss causing crash risk. Owners must contact Proterra for free inverter replacement.
Use caution until it’s fixed
A loss of power steering and/or drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Contact the company
What happened, in plain English
Proterra is recalling specific 2019-2022 Catalyst and ZX5 800V transit buses because a faulty inverter component can cause power steering and drive power loss, increasing crash risk. Owners need to have the inverter replaced by a dealer at no cost. Read more at govinfonow.com/recall/80652-proterra-catalyst-2021-buses-power-steering-failure-risk.
Source Summary by GovInfoNow · govinfonow.com/recall/80652-proterra-catalyst-2021-buses-power-steering-failure-risk · Updated October 4, 2026 · Official notice: NHTSA #23V697000
Cite this page
“Proterra Catalyst 2021 Buses: Power Steering Failure Risk.” GovInfoNow, updated October 4, 2026. https://govinfonow.com/recall/80652-proterra-catalyst-2021-buses-power-steering-failure-risk. Based on NHTSA recall #23V697000 (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=23V697000).
Why it’s dangerous
A transistor inside the inverter may overheat and fail, causing loss of power steering and drive power. This could lead to reduced vehicle control during operation, increasing crash risk.
Who’s affected
Owners of Proterra Catalyst 800V and ZX5 800V transit buses from 2019-2022 are affected. Drivers and transit operators using these buses face the highest risk due to potential power loss.
How to tell if you have this one
Check if your bus has Proterra Catalyst 800V or ZX5 800V model with ProDrive 1.0 system. The recall covers buses manufactured from 2019 through 2022.
- Brand
Proterra- Category
Vehicle
What to do — step by step
Contact Proterra Customer Service
Call 1-864-438-0000 to schedule inverter replacement at no cost.
Have Inverter Replaced
Dealers will replace the faulty inverter component for free.
What NHTSA says to do
Dealers will replace the inverter, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 16, 2023. Owners may contact Proterra customer service at 1-864-438-0000.
How this recall unfolded
Recall timeline
Owners were mailed letters 2 months 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 23V697000 — Proterra Catalyst 2021 Buses: Power Steering Failure Risk Hello, I own a Proterra Catalyst 2021 Buses: Power Steering Failure Risk that is covered by recall 23V697000 from Proterra. The official recall notice states: Dealers will replace the inverter, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 16, 2023. Owners may contact Proterra 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 #23V697000 (October 17, 2023)
- 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.