The Recall Desk
Our severity:HighNHTSA·18V698000·Announced 2018-10-05

Thomas Built Buses Minotour Recalled for Rear Emergency Exit Door Defect

Daimler Trucks North America is recalling 2016-2019 Thomas Built Buses Minotour school buses because the rear emergency exit door may not open wide enough to meet federal safety standards.

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 vehicle defect affecting emergency egress, which poses a risk of harm in an emergency, but no injuries or fatalities have been reported.

Plain-English summary

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Thomas Built Buses Minotour school buses equipped with 36-inch or 39-inch wide seats. The recall addresses a defect where the rear emergency exit door may not open wide enough to meet the unobstructed emergency egress area requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 217, "Bus Emergency Exits and Window Retention and Release."

If the emergency exit door does not open wide enough, it may limit the ability to exit the bus, increasing the risk of injury in the event of an emergency. DTNA issued an interim notification to owners on November 8, 2018, and the recall began on June 28, 2019.

Dealers will modify the rear door slide system to increase the angle that the door can open, free of charge. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-797. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

The recalled product

Product
THOMAS BUILT BUSES MINOTOUR
Brand
THOMAS BUILT BUSES
Manufacturer
Daimler Trucks North America LLC
Category
Vehicle — School Bus
Hazard
Affected units
701

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 (1)

  • MINOTOUR

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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