The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereNHTSA·26V546000·Announced 2026-08-24

2027 Thomas Built School Buses Recalled for Missing Seat Belt Anchor Plates

Daimler Trucks North America is recalling 2027 Thomas Built SAF-T-LINER EFX2 and HDX2 school buses because missing connector plates may compromise seat belt anchorages and body joint strength.

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 affecting seat belt anchorages and body joint strength, which the source text states may increase the risk of injury in a crash. This aligns with the rubric criterion for 'structural vehicle defect' or 'significant injury/property-damage reports' (implied risk).

Plain-English summary

Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2027 model year Thomas Built SAF-T-LINER EFX2 and SAF-T-LINER HDX2 school buses. The recall addresses a defect where the connector plates for the driver's seat belt anchor and an interior body joint seam may be missing. This results in insufficient structural reinforcements, causing the vehicles to fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 210 (Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages) and 221 (School Bus Body Joint Strength).

The missing components may increase the risk of injury in a crash. Specifically, a seat belt anchor with a missing connector plate may fail to properly restrain the driver, and insufficient joint strength may not adequately protect passengers.

The corrective remedy is currently under development. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on October 23, 2026. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-574-0712 for more information. DTNA's number for this recall is F1038.

The recalled product

Product
THOMAS BUILT BUSES SAF-T-LINER HDX2, SAF-T-LINER EFX2
Brand
THOMAS BUILT BUSES
Manufacturer
Daimler Trucks North America, LLC
Category
Vehicle — School Bus
Hazard
Affected units
65

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 HDX2
  • SAF-T-LINER EFX2

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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