Does the 2018 Thomas Built SAF-T-Liner C2 School BUS have any recalls?

Transport Canada lists 13 campaigns and the U.S. NHTSA lists 0 for the 2018 Thomas Built SAF-T-Liner C2 School BUS. Matched by make, model, and model year. Many recalls affect only specific VIN ranges — confirm with your dealer using your full VIN.

How do I know if a recall applies to my 2018 Thomas Built SAF-T-Liner C2 School BUS?

Recalls are matched by make, model and model year, but many cover only certain VIN ranges. Confirm with your manufacturer or dealer using your full VIN, or use the official Transport Canada or NHTSA lookup.

Are recall repairs free?

Yes. In both Canada and the United States the manufacturer must fix a recalled defect at no charge, through a franchised dealer.

RECALLS — MAKE · MODEL · YEAR

2018 Thomas Built SAF-T-Liner C2 School BUS recalls

13 safety recall campaigns have been filed for the 2018 Thomas Built SAF-T-Liner C2 School BUS with Transport Canada and the U.S. NHTSA. Here is what both agencies say.

Canadian recalls: 13
U.S. recalls: 00
Total campaigns: 13

Transport Canada recalls

Seats And Restraints#2023301May 25, 2023
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.
Engine#2022326June 20, 2022
6 units affected
Issue: On certain school buses, a problem in the engine control module (ECM) could cause the engine to shut down while driving. Note: This recall only affects buses equipped with a PSI 8.8 L propane (LPG) engine. Safety Risk: A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, a bus that is disabled could create the need for a transfer of passengers in an uncontrolled environment, which may create a risk of injury. Corrective Actions: Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) will contact owners by mail. The corrective actions for this recall are under development.
Seats And Restraints#2019497October 4, 2019
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#2019288June 12, 2019
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.
Steering#2018720December 20, 2018
4 units affected
On certain school buses, the bolts that join the steering and tie rod arm to the steering knuckle may not have been properly tightened. This could lead to a separation of the tie rod arm and cause a loss of steering control. This could create a risk of a crash causing injury and/or property damage. Correction: Daimler Trucks North America Authorized Service Facilities will inspect the steering and tie rod arm bolts to ensure they are torqued correctly and install new fasteners as necessary.
Structure#2018691December 11, 2018
507 units affected
On certain school buses, the roof header joints may be improperly bonded due to adhesive not being applied in the correct locations. In the event of a rollover crash, the structure of the vehicle could be affected, increasing the risk of injury to occupants. Correction: Daimler Trucks of North America Authorized Service Facilities will inspect the placement of the roof header adhesive and mechanical fasteners will be added to secure the joints as necessary.
Structure#2018448August 24, 2018
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.
Brakes#2018284May 30, 2018
5 units affected
On certain school buses equipped with air disc brakes, the brake caliper mounting bolts may be incorrectly torqued. This could result in the caliper bolts loosening, which could lead to the caliper detaching. Insufficiently torqued fasteners may not provide adequate clamping force between the brake caliper and brake anchor plate potentially resulting in reduced brake effectiveness, which would result in increased stopping distances, increasing the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Daimler Trucks of North America Service Facilities will inspect the bolts, and repair as necessary.
Seats And Restraints#2018200April 20, 2018
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.
Lights And Instruments#2017582November 28, 2017
1,556 units affected
Certain school buses equipped with certain instrument clusters may not comply with Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 101 - Controls and Displays and CMVSS 105 - Brake Systems. The ISO symbol for parking brake applied illuminates if there is a brake malfunction instead of the required brake malfunction ISO symbol, which is contrary to the requirements of the standard. If the incorrect ISO symbol is illuminated, the operator may not be aware that there is a brake malfunction that could lead to a reduction or loss of braking, which could increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Daimler Trucks North America-authorized service facilities will replace the dash cluster with a new dash cluster that display the correct brake ISO symbols.
Fuel System#2017513October 23, 2017
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#2017459September 22, 2017
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#2017359July 18, 2017
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.

Canadian data updated August 24, 2026

U.S. NHTSA recalls

No 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 2018 Thomas Built SAF-T-Liner C2 School BUS VIN

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