Model year record

2019 THOMAS BUILT BUSES SAF-T-Liner EFX

10 recall campaigns on file for this model year. No owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 24V555000

Equipment: other: labels

Component
Equipment: other: labels
Manufacturer
Daimler Trucks North America, LLC
Vehicles affected
27,494
Reported to NHTSA
2024-07-24
Owners notified
2024-09-05

Defect description

Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain Thomas Built Buses 2019-2022 Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner EFX, Saf-T-Liner HDX, Minotour DRW, 2020-2022 Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley, and Minotour SRW school buses. The Emergency Exit Label lettering is too small and may be difficult to read. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 217, "Bus Emergency Exits and Window Retention and Release."

Safety risk

Emergency exit labels that are difficult to read can prevent or delay the use of the emergency exit, increasing the risk of injury.

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers will correct the lettering, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 5, 2024. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL918.

Recall campaignNHTSA 22V762000

Structure: body: roof and pillars

Component
Structure: body: roof and pillars
Manufacturer
Daimler Trucks North America, LLC
Vehicles affected
17,613
Reported to NHTSA
2022-10-12
Owners notified
2023-06-02

Defect description

Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2011-2023 Thomas Built EFX and HDX school buses. The exterior roof panel was manufactured with insufficient joint strength. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 221, "School Bus Body Joint Strength."

Safety risk

A school bus exterior roof panel with insufficient joint strength may separate during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers will add additional mechanical fasteners to secure the joints, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 2, 2023. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL957.

Recall campaignNHTSA 22V510000

Seats: mid/rear assembly

Component
Seats: mid/rear assembly
Manufacturer
Daimler Trucks North America, LLC
Vehicles affected
1,806
Reported to NHTSA
2022-07-19
Owners notified
2023-12-04

Defect description

Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2014-23 Thomas Built Buses HDX and 2014-22 EFX school buses equipped with 39-inch S3C seat frames and 3-point flex seatbelts. The passenger seat frames may crack and rotate from fatigue.

Safety risk

Cracked passenger seat frames may not adequately secure passengers in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers will secure the seat frames with brackets, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mail December 4, 2023. Owners may contact DTNA's customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL946.

Recall campaignNHTSA 20V126000

Service brakes, air: disc: caliper

Component
Service brakes, air: disc: caliper
Manufacturer
Daimler Trucks North America LLC
Vehicles affected
581
Reported to NHTSA
2020-03-03
Owners notified
2020-05-02

Defect description

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner HDX, EFX, and C2 school buses equipped with air disc brakes. The brake caliper mounting bolts may have been insufficiently tightened.

Safety risk

Loose brake caliper mounting bolts can reduce brake effectiveness, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair the vehicles, free of charge. The recall began May 2, 2020. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-845.

Recall campaignNHTSA 19V712000

Seats

Component
Seats
Manufacturer
Daimler Trucks North America LLC
Vehicles affected
53,528
Reported to NHTSA
2019-10-04
Owners notified
2020-06-22

Defect description

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2014-2020 Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner EFX, Minotour, Saf-T-Liner C2, and Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses equipped with SynTec S3B or S3C seats. The seats may have been manufactured with styrene blocks that may not provide sufficient impact absorption in certain specific areas around the steel seat frame of the back support. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 222, "School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection."

Safety risk

The lack of impact absorption increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will install additional impact material between the re-bond back and the vinyl back cover to increase the amount of absorption, free of charge. DTNA issued owners an interim notification on November 29, 2019. The recall began June 22, 2020. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-832.

Recall campaignNHTSA 19V550000

Structure: emergency: escape/egress/exit

Component
Structure: emergency: escape/egress/exit
Manufacturer
Daimler Trucks North America LLC
Vehicles affected
3,080
Reported to NHTSA
2019-07-25
Owners notified
2019-11-15

Defect description

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Thomas Built Minotour, Saf-T Liner C2, Saf-T Liner EFX, and Saf-T Liner HDX school buses equipped with Safe Fleet Prolo Roof Escape hatches. Due to a manufacturing issue, the roof hatch external handle may unexpectedly break under reasonable use.

Safety 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.

Manufacturer remedy

DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will install a new handle, free of charge. Owners were issued an interim notification on September 13, 2019. The recall began November 15, 2019. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-819.

Recall campaignNHTSA 19V444000

Service brakes, air: disc

Component
Service brakes, air: disc
Manufacturer
Daimler Trucks North America LLC
Vehicles affected
11,546
Reported to NHTSA
2019-06-11
Owners notified
2019-08-09

Defect description

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2010-2020 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2, 2016-2019 HDX, and 2017-2019 EFX school buses equipped with Bendix Air Disc Brakes. The driver side rear brakes may drag.

Safety risk

The dragging brakes may lead to high temperatures at the wheel end, increasing the risk of smoke and fire, possibly resulting in the bus having to be evacuated, which can increase the risk of injury.

Manufacturer remedy

DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will install a new caliper with an updated clearance adjustment mechanism, free of charge. The recall began August 9, 2019. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-818.

Recall campaignNHTSA 18V914000

Suspension: front: control arm

Component
Suspension: front: control arm
Manufacturer
Daimler Trucks North America LLC
Vehicles affected
73
Reported to NHTSA
2018-12-19
Owners notified
2019-02-09

Defect description

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner HDX, C2, and EFX School Buses, equipped with Detroit Axle axles. The affected vehicles may have loose steering tie rod arm bolts.

Safety risk

Loose tie rod arm bolts may lead to separation of the tie rod arm, affecting vehicle steering, and increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

DTNA has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the steering arm and tie rod arm bolts for to make sure that they are properly tightened, installing new fasteners as necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 9, 2019. Owners may contact Daimler Trucks at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-802.

Recall campaignNHTSA 18V702000

Service brakes, air: disc: caliper

Component
Service brakes, air: disc: caliper
Manufacturer
Daimler Trucks North America LLC
Vehicles affected
1,532
Reported to NHTSA
2018-10-05
Owners notified
2018-12-03

Defect description

Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Thomas Built school buses Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner HDX and Saf-T-Liner EFX school buses. The brake caliper mounting bolts may have been insufficiently tightened.

Safety risk

Loose brake caliper mounting bolts can reduce brake effectiveness, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

DTNA has notified owners, and dealers will check and tighten the brake caliper mounting bolts, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2018. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-794.

Recall campaignNHTSA 18V352000

Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: caliper

Component
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: caliper
Manufacturer
Daimler Trucks North America LLC
Vehicles affected
2,767
Reported to NHTSA
2018-05-29
Owners notified
2018-09-04

Defect description

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner EFX and Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses equipped with air disc brakes. The brake caliper mounting bolts on these vehicles may be insufficiently tightened, allowing the bolts to loosen.

Safety risk

If the brake caliper mounting bolts come loose, braking performance may be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake caliper mounting bolts and tighten them as necessary, free of charge. DTNA issued owners an interim notification on July 25, 2018. The recall began September 4, 2018. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-772.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

No complaints recorded for this model year.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.