The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereNHTSA·17V729000·Announced 2017-11-17

Thomas Built Buses Recall 2016-2017 Models for Seat Belt Defect

Daimler Trucks North America is recalling 2016-2017 Thomas Built Buses school buses because the seat belt buckle mount rod can fracture under load, increasing injury risk in a crash.

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 recall involves a structural vehicle defect (seat belt anchorages) that fails to meet federal safety standards, creating a significant risk of injury in a crash, which aligns with the 'Severe' criteria for structural vehicle defects.

Plain-English summary

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner EFX, Saf-T-Liner HDX, and Minotour SRW school buses. The recall involves vehicles equipped with IMMI-brand 3-point lap and shoulder belts. The defect is that the seat belt buckle mount rod can fracture under load, causing the seats to fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."

In the event of a crash, if the buckle mount rod fractures, the seat occupant may not be restrained, which increases their risk of injury. The source text does not report any specific injuries or fatalities associated with this defect.

DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seat belt buckle rods free of charge. DTNA issued an interim notification to owners on December 11, 2017, and the recall began on May 23, 2018. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-753. Owners may also contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit www.safercar.gov.

The recalled product

Product
THOMAS BUILT BUSES SAF-T-LINER EFX, SAF-T-LINER HDX, MINOTOUR, SAF-T-LINER C2
Brand
THOMAS BUILT BUSES
Manufacturer
Daimler Trucks North America LLC
Category
Vehicle — School Bus
Hazard
Affected units
51

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 (4)

  • SAF-T-LINER EFX
  • SAF-T-LINER HDX
  • MINOTOUR
  • SAF-T-LINER C2

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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