2018 THOMAS BUILT BUSES SAF-T-LINER EFX Complaints and Recall Information
The 2018 THOMAS BUILT BUSES SAF-T-LINER EFX has 0 complaints and 19 recalls filed with NHTSA. Owners most frequently report issues related to braking system defects and seat mounting problems across several model years. Some recalls address structural concerns with the bus body and steering components as well.
Multiple recalls have been issued covering different parts and systems of the vehicle. The affected areas include the body structure, seats, brakes, suspension, and steering. Many recalls involve potential safety risks such as increased injury risk during crashes or diminished brake effectiveness. Repair services for these defects are provided free of charge by authorized dealers.
Recalls- Roof and body joint strength. Recall FL957 affects 17,613 buses from 2011-2023 for insufficient exterior roof panel joint strength. This can cause separation during a crash, increasing injury risk. Dealers add mechanical fasteners to reinforce the joints at no cost.
- Rear air disc brakes. Recall FL818 covers 11,546 buses from 2010-2020 with Bendix air disc brakes where the driver side rear brakes may drag. Dragging brakes can cause high temperatures and fire risk, potentially requiring evacuation. Dealers install new calipers with updated clearance mechanisms free of charge.
- Seat impact absorption. Recall FL832 involves 53,528 buses from 2014-2020 with SynTec S3B or S3C seats lacking sufficient impact absorption around steel seat frames. This defect increases injury risk in crashes. Additional impact material is installed between seat layers at no charge.
- Seat mounting hardware. Recall FL737 affects 1,132 buses from 2014-2018 where occupant seats were installed without under-rail washers, weakening anchorage strength. Seats may come loose in a crash, increasing injury risk. Dealers inspect and replace mounting hardware as needed free of charge.
- Steering tie rod arm bolts. Recall FL802 applies to 73 buses from 2018-2019 equipped with Detroit Axle axles. Loose bolts may separate the tie rod arm, compromising steering and increasing crash risk. Dealers inspect and tighten bolts, replacing fasteners if necessary, at no cost.
- Wall-mounted seat brackets. Recalls FL763, FL769, and related numbers cover over 30,000 buses from 2014-2018 with Syntec and S3B restraint seats whose wall mounting brackets may crack. This can allow seats to detach in crashes, raising injury risk. Dealers add additional mounting brackets free of charge.
- Air brake system check valve. Recall FL774 affects about 114 buses from 2017-2018 where check valves may be plumbed incorrectly, causing simultaneous loss of primary and secondary air pressure. Sudden parking brake activation raises crash risk. Dealers inspect and repair valve plumbing free of charge.
- Brake caliper mounting bolts. Recalls FL772 and FL794 cover over 4,200 buses from 2017-2019 where brake caliper bolts may be insufficiently tightened. Loose bolts reduce braking performance and increase crash risk. Dealers inspect and tighten bolts at no cost to owners.
Owners with multiple repairs or ongoing safety recall issues involving these buses may have rights under state lemon laws. Consulting with a qualified attorney can help identify options for addressing repeated defects and unresolved safety concerns.
2018 THOMAS BUILT BUSES SAF-T-LINER EFX Summary
2018
Model Year
0
Total Complaints
13
Total Recalls
118043
Vehicles Affected
Recalls
2018 THOMAS BUILT BUSES SAF-T-LINER EFX
17613 vehicles affected
STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2011-2023 Thomas Built EFX and HDX school buses. The exterior roof panel was manufactured with insufficient joint strength. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 221, "School Bus Body Joint Strength."
Risk: A school bus exterior roof panel with insufficient joint strength may separate during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
2018 THOMAS BUILT BUSES SAF-T-LINER EFX
53528 vehicles affected
SEATS
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2014-2020 Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner EFX, Minotour, Saf-T-Liner C2, and Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses equipped with SynTec S3B or S3C seats. The seats may have been manufactured with styrene blocks that may not provide sufficient impact absorption in certain specific areas around the steel seat frame of the back support. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 222, "School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection."
Risk: The lack of impact absorption increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
2018 THOMAS BUILT BUSES SAF-T-LINER EFX
11546 vehicles affected
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DISC
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2010-2020 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2, 2016-2019 HDX, and 2017-2019 EFX school buses equipped with Bendix Air Disc Brakes. The driver side rear brakes may drag.
Risk: The dragging brakes may lead to high temperatures at the wheel end, increasing the risk of smoke and fire, possibly resulting in the bus having to be evacuated, which can increase the risk of injury.
2018 THOMAS BUILT BUSES SAF-T-LINER EFX
6 vehicles affected
SEATS
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner HDX, Saf-T-Liner EFX, and Minotour transit buses, equipped with certain Syntec-brand S3B, Non-Restraint, Wall Mounted Seats. The wall mounting bracket may crack, which may cause the seat to not remain secured in place in the event of a crash.
Risk: In the event of a crash, if the seat does not remain secured to the wall, the occupant has an increased risk of an injury.
2018 THOMAS BUILT BUSES SAF-T-LINER EFX
73 vehicles affected
STEERING
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner HDX, C2, and EFX School Buses, equipped with Detroit Axle axles. The affected vehicles may have loose steering tie rod arm bolts.
Risk: Loose tie rod arm bolts may lead to separation of the tie rod arm, affecting vehicle steering, and increasing the risk of a crash.
2018 THOMAS BUILT BUSES SAF-T-LINER EFX
5 vehicles affected
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:SUPPLY:CHECK VALVE
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner EFX transit buses. The check valve for the air brake system may not be plumbed correctly which can cause the primary air system to not be isolated from the secondary air system.
Risk: In the event of a rapid loss of air pressure in the secondary system, the incorrectly plumbed check valve can cause rapid air loss in both secondary and primary system, causing the parking brakes to activate suddenly. This will increase the risk of a crash.
2018 THOMAS BUILT BUSES SAF-T-LINER EFX
1532 vehicles affected
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DISC:CALIPER
Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Thomas Built school buses Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner HDX and Saf-T-Liner EFX school buses. The brake caliper mounting bolts may have been insufficiently tightened.
Risk: Loose brake caliper mounting bolts can reduce brake effectiveness, increasing the risk of a crash.
2018 THOMAS BUILT BUSES SAF-T-LINER EFX
2767 vehicles affected
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner EFX and Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses equipped with air disc brakes. The brake caliper mounting bolts on these vehicles may be insufficiently tightened, allowing the bolts to loosen.
Risk: If the brake caliper mounting bolts come loose, braking performance may be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash.
2018 THOMAS BUILT BUSES SAF-T-LINER EFX
23102 vehicles affected
SEATS
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner HDX, Saf-T-Liner EFX, and Minotour school buses equipped with S3B Restraint Wall Mounted Seats. The wall mounting bracket may crack, causing the seat to not remain secured in place in the event of a crash.
Risk: In the event of a crash, if the seat does not remain secured to the wall, the occupant has an increased risk of an injury.
2018 THOMAS BUILT BUSES SAF-T-LINER EFX
6606 vehicles affected
SEATS
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner HDX, Saf-T-Liner EFX, and Minotour school buses, equipped with certain Syntec-brand S3B, Non-Restraint, Wall Mounted Seats. The wall mounting bracket may crack, which may cause the seat to not remain secured in place in the event of a crash.
Risk: In the event of a crash, if the seat does not remain secured to the wall, the occupant has an increased risk of an injury.
2018 THOMAS BUILT BUSES SAF-T-LINER EFX
24 vehicles affected
SEATS
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner EFX, Saf-T-Liner HDX, and Minotour transit buses, equipped with certain S3B Restraint Wall Mounted Seats. The wall mounting bracket may crack, causing the seat to not remain secured in place in the event of a crash.
Risk: In the event of a crash, if the seat does not remain secured to the wall, the occupant has an increased risk of an injury.
2018 THOMAS BUILT BUSES SAF-T-LINER EFX
109 vehicles affected
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:SUPPLY:CHECK VALVE
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner EFX school buses. The check valve for the air brake system may not be plumbed correctly which can cause the primary air system to not be isolated from the secondary air system.
Risk: In the event of a rapid loss of air pressure in the secondary system, the incorrectly plumbed check valve can cause rapid air loss in both secondary and primary system, causing the parking brakes to activate suddenly. This will increase the risk of a crash.
2018 THOMAS BUILT BUSES SAF-T-LINER EFX
1132 vehicles affected
SEATS
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner EFX and Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses. The occupant seats may have been installed without under-rail washers, reducing their anchorage strength.
Risk: Without under-rail washers, in the event of a crash, the seats may come loose, increasing the risk of injury.
Complaints
No complaints found.