13,593 Thomas School Buses Recalled: Wheelhouse Body Joints Too Weak for Federal School Bus Standard
In a new batch of safety recalls posted on Nov. 2, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) is recalling certain 2023-2027 Thomas Built school buses, 13,593 units in total. The wheelhouse body interior joints may have been manufactured incorrectly, resulting in insufficient joint strength, so the buses fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 221, "School Bus Body Joint Strength." The recall covers the SAF-T-LINER C2 Jouley (2023-2027), SAF-T-LINER C2 (2025-2027), SAF-T-LINER HDX2 (2026-2027) and SAF-T-LINER EFX2.
NHTSA said a school bus with insufficient joint strength may not adequately protect passengers in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. DTNA has filed its safety recall report with NHTSA (manufacturer recall No. F1044; NHTSA campaign No. 26V702), estimating that all of the recalled buses have the defect.
Dealers will add fasteners to secure the joints, free of charge, and owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on Dec. 21. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-574-0712, or check whether their vehicle is included by entering its VIN on the NHTSA recall lookup page.
Thomas Built Buses, headquartered in High Point, North Carolina, is one of the largest school bus manufacturers in the United States and a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America; the SAF-T-LINER C2 is its flagship conventional school bus, used by school districts across the country.
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Thomas SAF-T-LINER C2 校车（资料图）。照片：Winnebaggo，Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 4.0。 / File photo: a Thomas SAF-T-LINER C2 school bus. Photo: Winnebaggo via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
