Table of contents
- Latest Lion School Bus Lawsuit Updates
- October 7, 2025: HVAC Wiring Fire-Risk Notice Updated
- September 26, 2025: Report Shows Earlier Fires Were Known
- September 12, 2025: Quebec Pulls Lion Buses for Inspection
- September 9, 2025: LionC Bus Catches Fire in Montreal
- July 18, 2025: Warranties Voided for U.S. Buyers
- May 5, 2025: Liquidation Called Very Likely
- February 24, 2025: Quebec Class Action Reported
- January 27, 2025: Maine Asks for Federal Help
- December 19, 2024: Creditor Protection Granted
- July 30, 2024: Recall 24V-460 Filed for 100 Buses
- November 2, 2023: Shareholders Sue in Delaware
- October 20, 2023: Recall 23V-710 Filed for 7 Buses
- June 28, 2023: Short-Circuit Recall Listed
- Who May Be Affected?
- Reported Injuries or Damages
- Recall and Regulatory Background
- Evidence to Preserve
- Filing Deadlines
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Who Owns the Lion Bus Company?
- Does Lion Electric Still Sell School Buses in the United States?
- What Does the Research Say About Lion School Bus Defects?
- Is There a Lion School Bus Settlement?
Lion Electric school buses, the LionC and Lion360 models, have been recalled for brake, high-voltage and heating-system wiring defects. One LionC bus caught fire in Montreal in September 2025.
No injury or product-liability lawsuit names Lion Electric over the buses, and no MDL has been formed. The lawsuits that exist are investor class actions in Delaware and Quebec, whose allegations are untested, plus a creditor-protection case in Quebec.
Warranties for buses sold outside Quebec were voided in July 2025, according to a letter to U.S. customers. Transport Canada opened a defect investigation after the fire. CBC reported that the investigation remains ongoing.
Latest Lion School Bus Lawsuit Updates
October 7, 2025: HVAC Wiring Fire-Risk Notice Updated
Transport Canada updated its safety notice for recall 2025528, first published October 2, 2025 [1]. The notice covers certain Lion school buses.
The HVAC control panel may not have been made properly, so the wiring could overheat. Overheated wiring is a fire risk. Owners should not use a bus with any HVAC issues.
September 26, 2025: Report Shows Earlier Fires Were Known
CBC News reported that Transport Canada already knew of three earlier LionC fire or smoke incidents [2]. It learned of them through public complaints between November 2024 and January 2025.
September 12, 2025: Quebec Pulls Lion Buses for Inspection
Quebec took about 1,200 Lion school buses out of service after the September 9 Montreal fire, Global News reported [3]. The province called the step a precaution.
New Brunswick pulled its 22 Lion buses the same day, according to CBC [4]. They return after inspection under a manufacturer bulletin approved by Transport Canada.
September 9, 2025: LionC Bus Catches Fire in Montreal
CBC News reported that a LionC school bus caught fire in Montreal’s Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood. The driver and five children aboard were not harmed. Global News said fire officials called the fire unrelated to the bus’s battery.
July 18, 2025: Warranties Voided for U.S. Buyers
Deloitte Restructuring told U.S. customers in a letter that all warranties for purchases made outside Quebec are not assumed by the new company [5]. School Transportation News reported the letter on July 19, 2025.
May 5, 2025: Liquidation Called Very Likely
Deloitte, acting as court-appointed monitor, told the Quebec Superior Court that liquidation of Lion Electric’s assets was very likely [6]. Quebec had declined to invest more public funds. CBC reported that Quebec stood to lose about $140 million.
February 24, 2025: Quebec Class Action Reported
The Canadian Press reported a proposed securities class action by Lion Electric shareholders in Quebec [7]. It alleges the company misled investors and misrepresented its financial health.
The allegations are untested. The suit has not yet been authorized. Class members include those who invested in the company between May 7, 2021, and December 15, 2024. The company declined comment.
January 27, 2025: Maine Asks for Federal Help
Maine’s Education Commissioner asked the EPA to waive penalties and pursue legal remedies, WGME reported [8]. The letter said six Maine districts faced significant trouble with Lion buses bought with Clean School Bus Program funds.
December 19, 2024: Creditor Protection Granted
A Quebec court granted Lion Electric protection from its creditors, the Canadian Press reported [9]. The Canadian Press later reported that Lion had US$500 million in debt, and shareholders say the stock lost 96 per cent.
July 30, 2024: Recall 24V-460 Filed for 100 Buses
Lion Electric filed NHTSA recall 24V-460 for 100 LionC buses from model years 2023 and 2024 [10]. The first report came from Maine on January 11, 2024.
A CAN connector for high-voltage battery No. 4 was installed in the wrong orientation. Water can get in and cut high voltage, steering assistance and primary braking.
November 2, 2023: Shareholders Sue in Delaware
Lion Electric shareholders sued Northern Genesis Capital Group affiliates in the Delaware Court of Chancery, No. 2023-1112 [11]. The proposed class action alleges a misleading SPAC merger.
These are allegations, not findings. Bloomberg Law reported that the suit targets the architects of the blank-check merger. It says they tricked investors into a lousy deal.
October 20, 2023: Recall 23V-710 Filed for 7 Buses
Lion Electric filed NHTSA recall 23V-710 for 7 LionC full-air buses [12]. Lion told NHTSA that the ABS pneumatic valve connections and rear wheel speed sensors may have been reversed during assembly.
Transport Canada recall 2023569 was posted the same day [13]. Both cover LionC buses of model years 2024 and 2025, built in 2022 and 2023.
June 28, 2023: Short-Circuit Recall Listed
A USA Today recall listing dated June 28, 2023 covers an NHTSA recall of certain 2021-2025 LionC school buses [14]. It is recall number 23V-452.
Loose hardware inside the high-voltage distribution unit or direct current junction box may touch electrical terminals. That can cause a short circuit.
Who May Be Affected?
LionC and Lion360 owners, operators and school districts may be affected, including the 2014-2025 model years named in Transport Canada recall 2025528.
Recall 23V-710 covers LionC full-air buses built from October 10, 2022 to October 8, 2023. Recall 24V-460 covers LionC buses built from April 1 to September 30, 2022.
U.S. buyers whose Lion warranties were voided may also be affected. Nearly 2,000 Lion Electric school buses in the United States lost their manufacturer warranties, CCJ reported [15]. Quebec warranties were unaffected.
School Transportation News reported that Herscher CUSD No. 2 in Illinois paid alternate vendors to fix six of its 25 Lion buses. The district had been given $9.875 million for the buses and charging stations.
Children and drivers who ride these buses are also involved. Whether a claim exists depends on each person’s facts and needs an individual legal review.
Reported Injuries or Damages
The recall hazards below come from regulators and the company, not courts. Investor losses are alleged in the two class actions above.
NHTSA report 23V-710 says the reversed parts can make the bus unstable. One rear wheel could lock up. The report says the combination would increase the risk of collision.
NHTSA report 24V-460 says losing high voltage means losing steering assistance and primary braking. The report states no injuries or death were caused by this issue.
CBC News listed three earlier LionC incidents. All three came within 49 days:
- Ascot Corner, Quebec, November 26, 2024: a fire started in the heating system, with no students aboard.
- Brossard, Quebec, January 8, 2025: an electrical component overheated and caused significant smoke.
- Huntsville, Ontario, January 13, 2025: a fire followed a breakdown, and more than 70 students were evacuated with no injuries.
Recall and Regulatory Background
NHTSA handles Lion recalls in the United States. Transport Canada handles them in Canada. NHTSA report 23V-710 described the fix as a free inspection and reconnection of the reversed parts.
For recall 2025528, Lion tells owners to follow the latest inspection steps on its website. A recall does not establish liability. Another school bus defect is covered on our Blue Bird school bus recall page.
Evidence to Preserve
Keep these records, since they may matter if a claim is ever reviewed:
- Recall notices and owner letters sent about the bus.
- The bus VIN, model year and purchase or lease contract.
- Repair, inspection and service records for the bus.
- Warranty documents and correspondence with Lion or dealers.
- Photographs and video of defects or fire damage.
- Incident, fire department and school reports.
- Medical records for any injury.
- Records of buses out of service and replacement costs.
Store originals in one place and copy them before sending anything to Lion, a dealer or an insurer. Notes help too. Record the bus number, when each problem began and how long the bus sat idle.
Filing Deadlines
Filing deadlines exist. They come from state law for U.S. claims or provincial law for Canadian claims, so no single date fits every Lion bus owner.
They vary with where you live and when the injury, loss or defect was discovered. Two people on the same bus can face different dates.
Letting a deadline pass can end a claim even when the facts are strong. Ask a lawyer promptly which deadline applies to your Lion bus situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Owns the Lion Bus Company?
The Lion bus company is owned by a group of Quebec-based investors that paid $6 million for it in May 2025, The Logic reported. Former Lion board director Pierre Wilkie and Vincent Chiara, president of the Montreal developer Groupe Mach, lead the group.
Does Lion Electric Still Sell School Buses in the United States?
Lion Electric does not sell school buses in the United States any more. The Logic reports that the company now sells only in Quebec. Its U.S. operations closed after the sale.
What Does the Research Say About Lion School Bus Defects?
Regulator findings on Lion school bus defects come from NHTSA reports and Transport Canada notices. NHTSA lists assembly errors as the cause of the 23V-710 defect. CBC says Transport Canada’s investigation is ongoing.
Is There a Lion School Bus Settlement?
No settlement or verdict has been reported for Lion school buses, and no compensation program has been announced. Any recovery would depend on a court ruling or an agreement, and no claim is guaranteed.