RECALLS — MAKE · MODEL · YEAR
2016 Thomas Built SAF-T-Liner C2 School BUS recalls
14 safety recall campaigns have been filed for the 2016 Thomas Built SAF-T-Liner C2 School BUS with Transport Canada and the U.S. NHTSA. Here is what both agencies say.
- Canadian recalls
- 14
- U.S. recalls
- 00
- Total campaigns
- 14
Transport Canada recalls
14- Seats And Restraints#2023301
14 units affected
Issue: On certain school bus seats, the plastic trim (bezel) where the shoulder seat belt comes out of the seatback may be too hard. Canadian regulations have requirements for anything that is installed in certain areas of the seatback. Note: This only affects school buses equipped with certain Syntec M2K and S3C passenger seats with lap/shoulder seat belts. Safety Risk: While this plastic trim is doesn't technically meet the requirements of Canadian regulations, it's unlikely to cause an injury. Corrective Actions: This is not a recall. The company made changes in 2017, and all new seats made after that time have a soft vinyl cover trim for the shoulder seat belt.
- Seats And Restraints#2019497
4,355 units affected
Issue: This recall affects certain school buses equipped with SynTec S3B and/or S3C passenger seats. On some seats, the protective foam in certain areas of the seatback may not meet the knee impact requirements of Canadian regulations. Safety Risk: A seatback that does not have proper knee impact protection could increase the risk of injury to occupants in a crash. Corrective Actions: The company will notify owners by mail and instruct them to take their vehicle to a Daimler Trucks of North America authorized service facility to install additional protective material in the seatbacks.
- Brakes#2019288
80 units affected
Issue: A problem with the left-rear brake caliper on certain school buses may cause the brake pads to drag and overheat. This could result in high temperatures, smoke, odour, or a possible fire. Safety Risk: A fire could increase the risk of injury. This could also result in an emergency evacuation of a school bus in an uncontrolled environment, which could also increase the risk of an injury. Corrective Actions: The company will notify owners by mail and instruct them to take their vehicle to a Daimler Trucks North America authorized service facility to replace the left-rear brake caliper.
- Structure#2018448
13 units affected
On certain school buses equipped with a Ricon S-Series or K-Series titanium wheelchair lift, the lift positioning input cam may fail. If this happens and the operator continues to press the "up" button, the platform could travel past the vehicle floor height, potentially causing a lift occupant to be tipped inwards toward the vehicle, which could increase the risk of injury. Correction: a Ricon authorized dealer will perform the repairs.
- Seats And Restraints#2018200
2,566 units affected
On certain school buses equipped with Syntec S3B restraint seats, under extreme operating conditions, such as adverse road conditions, repetitive shock loads, or occupant abuse, a metal fatigue crack may develop on the rear wall mount bracket of the seat. Over time, this could lead to the wall mount bracket fracturing, which in the event of a crash, could increase the risk of injury to seat occupants. Correction: Daimler Trucks of North America Service Facilities will inspect seats and install an additional wall bracket between the wall rail and the seat as necessary.
- Fuel System#2018141
53 units affected
On certain school buses equipped with propane engines, a propane fuel line could interfere and chafe against a j-hook body support bracket and potentially result in a fuel leak. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Daimler Trucks of North America Service Facilities will inspect the propane fuel line for clearance and will reroute as necessary.
- Accessories#2018028
12,791 units affected
On certain school buses equipped with Kidde fire extinguishers with black plastic handles and valves, the fire extinguishers may become clogged or require excessive force to activate. Also, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury, and fail to discharge. In case of fire, failure of the extinguisher to function could result in injury and/or property damage. Correction: Owners will be provided with instructions on how to inspect the fire extinguisher to see if it is recalled. Replacement fire extinguishers will be supplied by Kidde directly. Note: For more information about recalled fire extinguishers, please visit <a href="https://inmarmarketaction.com/kidde/Kidde284CA/">www.kidde.com</a>.
- Fuel System#2017513
54 units affected
On certain school buses equipped with propane engines, a propane fuel line may be routed too close to the transmission yoke. This could allow for the line to contact the yoke and increase the potential for a propane leak, which in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will inspect the routing of the propane fuel plumbing, and re-route as required.
- Seats And Restraints#2017459
65 units affected
On certain buses built with Freedman 3-point belted seats, the seat may not meet anchorage specifications. As a result, in the event of crash, occupants may be at an increased the risk of injury. Correction: Dealers will inspect and reinforcement brackets will be installed as needed.
- Structure#2017359
17 units affected
On certain buses built with a wheelchair pocket track, the anchorage of the pocket track may not meet anchorage specifications. In the event of of crash, occupants may be at an increased the risk of injury. Correction: Daimler Trucks North America authorized service facilities will install additional fasteners to the wheelchair pocket track to reinforce the anchorage.
- Accessories#2016418
35 units affected
On certain school buses equipped with a Ricon S-Series wheelchair lift, the platform could potentially crack due to bent knuckle link arms and/or defective bearing. Overtime, the platform could separate of the rear portion of the pivot plate making the lift inoperable and putting the lift operator at risk of injury. Correction: Owners will need to make an appointment with the local Ricon Dealer to have the lift inspected and repaired.
- Accessories#2016063
243 units affected
Certain school buses may not conform to Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 131 - School Bus Pedestrian Safety Devices. The STOP decal may not adhere properly to the stop sign and could peel off without warning, which could cause it to fail to meet the requirements of the standard. This could increase the risk of injury for the passengers exiting the school bus. Correction: Specialty Manufacturing Inc. will provide owners with a replacement stop sign blade assembly. If owners are not comfortable installing the blade assembly themselves, they can take their vehicle to a dealer for the installation.
- Seats And Restraints#2016016
21 units affected
Certain school buses may fail to conform to Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 222 – School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection. The SynTec S3B track seat may not provide sufficient strength to pass the rearward push test specified by the standard. In the event of a crash, the S3B track seat could come in contact with the passengers knees which could increase the risk of injury and/or impede egress. Correction: Dealers will install a “toe-clamp” on the feet of the S3B track mounted seat to meet the requirement of CMVSS 222.
- Other#2016015
293 units affected
Certain school buses may fail to conform to the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 217 – Bus Window Retention, Release and Emergency Exits. Certain tempered glass windows may not meet the window retention test specified by the standard. Should a person be pushed against the tempered glass window during an accident situation, the window may not be able to retain the passenger inside the vehicle which would increase the risk of injury. Correction: Dealers will modify the windows as necessary to meet the requirement of CMVSS 217.
Canadian data updated August 24, 2026
U.S. NHTSA recalls
00No recalls found for this make, model, and year.
Does this recall apply to my vehicle?
Matched by make, model, and model year. Many recalls affect only specific VIN ranges — confirm with your dealer using your full VIN.
What to do
Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer in both countries. To confirm a recall applies to your specific vehicle, or to book the work, contact your manufacturer or dealer with your full VIN, or use the official channel:
- NHTSA recall lookup (search by VIN) — U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Defects and recalls database — Transport Canada
Check a 2016 Thomas Built SAF-T-Liner C2 School BUS VIN
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