The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereNHTSA·10V468000·Announced 2010-10-08

Daimler Recalls 2008-2011 Thomas Built School Buses for Engine Software Defect

Daimler Trucks is recalling 2,687 Thomas Built school buses due to engine software that may cause unexpected shutdowns or overheating fires.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).

The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly states that the defect may result in a fire and increase the risk of a crash, which aligns with the rubric criterion for 'significant injury/property-damage reports' or structural/functional defects leading to severe hazards.

Plain-English summary

Daimler Trucks North America is recalling certain model year 2008 through 2011 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 and Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses. The affected vehicles were manufactured between October 5, 2006, and May 24, 2010, and are equipped with EPA 2007 MBE 900 Detroit Diesel engines. A total of 2,687 vehicles are included in this recall campaign.

The recall addresses a defect in the engine software, which may not react properly to certain aftermarket treatment device fault codes. This malfunction can cause the vehicle to shut down unnecessarily or fail to shut down when the aftermarket device experiences an over-temperature fault. An unexpected shutdown may increase the risk of a crash, while overheating of the device without an engine shutdown may result in a fire.

Daimler Trucks will notify owners, and repairs will be performed by Detroit Diesel free of charge. The safety recall began on December 30, 2010. Owners may contact Daimler Trucks at 1-800-547-0712 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
THOMAS BUILT BUSES SAF-T-LINER HDX, SAF-T-LINER C2
Brand
THOMAS BUILT BUSES
Manufacturer
DAIMLER TRUCKS NORTH AMERICA
Category
Vehicle — School Bus
Hazard
Affected units
2,687

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (2)

  • SAF-T-LINER HDX
  • SAF-T-LINER C2

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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