The Recall Desk
Our severity:HighNHTSA·23V333000·Announced 2023-05-09

School bus structural joint defect poses crash protection risk

Daimler Trucks North America is recalling Thomas Built school buses due to potentially insufficient rear interior joint strength. Dealers will add fasteners to reinforce the joints at no charge.

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: This is a structural vehicle defect affecting a critical safety system (crash protection), but no injuries or deaths have been reported and the hazard remains potential rather than realized. Per the rubric, recalls with no reported illnesses/injuries and theoretical hazards score at most 3.

Plain-English summary

Daimler Trucks North America, LLC is recalling certain 2021-2024 Thomas Built SAF-T-LINER C2 and SAF-T-LINER C2 Jouley school buses. Approximately 23,590 vehicles are affected by this recall.

The recalled buses may have rear interior joints that were manufactured incorrectly, resulting in insufficient joint strength. These joints fail to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 221, which establishes strength requirements for school bus body joints. A school bus with insufficient joint strength may not adequately protect passengers in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Owners were notified by mail on December 19, 2023. Dealers will add additional fasteners to secure the joints at no charge. For more information, owners can contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-574-0712 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153).

The recalled product

Product
THOMAS BUILT BUSES SAF-T-LINER C2 JOULEY, SAF-T-LINER C2
Brand
THOMAS BUILT BUSES
Manufacturer
Daimler Trucks North America, LLC
Category
Vehicle — School Bus / Body Structure
Hazard
Affected units
23,590

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 C2 JOULEY
  • SAF-T-LINER C2

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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