The Recall Desk
Our severity:HighNHTSA·15V432000·Announced 2015-07-07

Thomas Built Buses Recall Emergency Door Handle Corrosion Defect

Daimler Trucks North America is recalling 103,038 Thomas Built Buses because corrosion on the emergency door handle stem could delay evacuation during an emergency.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 3/5 (High).

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural defect in an emergency egress system that could delay evacuation and increase injury risk, but no injuries or fatalities have been reported, fitting the 'High' criteria for risk-of-harm products without reported injury.

Plain-English summary

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling 103,038 model year 2001-2013 Thomas Built Buses, including Saf-T-Liner and Vista models, manufactured between February 5, 2001, and May 29, 2012. The recall addresses a defect where the stem connecting the outside emergency door handle to the opening mechanism may corrode.

If the stem corrodes, the door handle could detach from the mechanism, delaying the opening of the door and the evacuation of the bus. In the event of an emergency, this delay may increase the risk of injury to bus occupants.

DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stems or protect them against corrosion free of charge. The recall began on December 24, 2015, following an interim notification on August 25, 2015. Owners can contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-745-8000 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
THOMAS, THOMAS BUILT BUSES SAF-T-LINER CONVENTIONAL, SAF-T-LINER C2, SAF-T-LINER FS65, SAF-T-LINER HDX
Brand
THOMAS
Manufacturer
Daimler Trucks North America LLC
Category
Vehicle — School Bus / Transit Bus
Hazard
Affected units
103,038

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 (10)

  • SAF-T-LINER CONVENTIONAL
  • SAF-T-LINER C2
  • SAF-T-LINER FS65
  • SAF-T-LINER HDX
  • SAF-T-LINER MVP-ER
  • SAF-T-LINER ER
  • SAF-T-LINER EFX
  • SAF-T-LINER MVP-EF
  • TL-960
  • VISTA

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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