Thomas Built SAF-T-Liner HDX School BUS recalls

• Heater And Defroster#2026065February 13, 2026

  13 units affected

  Issue: On certain school buses, the heater hose clamps may not have been tightened properly. As a result, the heater hose could disconnect, and coolant could leak into the bus. Safety Risk: A coolant leak could create the risk of a burn injury. Corrective Actions: Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your school bus to a DTNA authorized service facility to inspect and, if necessary, tighten or replace the heater hose clamps.

• Label#2024423July 24, 2024

  1,382 units affected

  Issue: On certain school buses, the letters on the instruction labels for the emergency exits are too small. This could make it difficult to read the label. Canadian regulations require a minimum size for the letters. Safety Risk: Instructions for an emergency exit that are difficult to read could delay persons from exiting the bus in an emergency and increase the risk of injury. Corrective Actions: Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your school bus to a DTNA authorized service facility to increase the height of the letters on the instruction labels.

• 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.

• Seats And Restraints#2022680November 28, 2022

  51 units affected

  Issue: On certain school buses, the restraining barrier between the entrance door and the first seat may not meet the energy absorption requirements of Canadian regulations. Safety Risk: A barrier that does not properly absorb energy could increase the risk of injury to passengers in a crash. Corrective Actions: Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) will notify owners by mail. The corrective actions for this recall are under development.

• Structure#2022577October 12, 2022

  284 units affected

  Issue: Certain school buses may not meet Canadian regulations for roof panel joint strength. Safety Risk: A roof joint that is not strong enough could increase the risk of injury in a crash. Corrective Actions: Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your bus to a DTNA authorized service facility to add additional fasteners to the roof lap joints.

• Structure#2022516September 14, 2022

  14 units affected

  Issue: On certain school buses, the exterior side body panel(s) may not have been attached properly. As a result, the buses may not meet the joint strength requirements of Canadian regulations. Safety Risk: A body joint that is not strong enough could increase the risk of injury in a crash. Corrective Actions: Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your bus to a DTNA authorized service facility to add additional fasteners to the rear exterior side body panel joints.

• Electrical#2022207April 25, 2022

  17 units affected

  Issue: On certain school buses, the positive battery cable could be damaged by contact with the transmission oil cooler hose. If this happens, the battery cable could short circuit. Safety Risk: A short circuit could create a fire risk. Corrective Actions: Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your school bus to a DTNA authorized service facility to inspect and re-route the positive battery cable.

• Electrical#2021669November 2, 2021

  20 units affected

  Issue: On certain school buses, the alternator power cable connection may not have been properly tightened. As a result, the power cable could loosen or separate from the alternator. If this happens, there could be electrical arcing (sparks). Safety Risk: Electrical arcing could damage surrounding material and increase the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your bus to a DTNA authorized service facility to inspect and tighten the alternator power cable connection, as necessary.

• Electrical#2021528August 25, 2021

  1 units affected

  Issue: On one school bus, the power steering hose may have been routed incorrectly. As a result, the hose could be damaged by contact with the alternator charge cable and cause a short circuit. Safety Risk: Damage to the power steering hose and alternator charge cable may cause an engine compartment fire. Corrective Actions: Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) will notify the owner by mail and instruct you to take the bus to a DTNA authorized service facility to inspect the routing of the power steering hose. It will be modified, if necessary.

• Fuel System#2021312May 21, 2021

  1 units affected

  Issue: On one school bus, the fuel rail assembly could develop a leak. Note: This recall only affects vehicles equipped with a Cummins L9 or ISX12 diesel engine. Safety Risk: A fuel leak can create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: Cummins will notify the owner by mail and instruct them to take their bus to a Cummins authorized service center to inspect the fuel rail. If damage is found, the fuel rail and fuel lines will be replaced. If no damage is found, the fuel rail will be reassembled with new crush washers using a special tool.

• Seats And Restraints#2019641December 17, 2019

  64 units affected

  This recall was replaced by Transport Canada recall number 2022-680. Issue: On certain school buses, the restraining barrier between the entrance door and the first seat may not meet the energy absorption requirements of Canadian regulations. Safety Risk: A barrier that does not properly absorb energy could increase the risk of injury to passengers in a crash. Corrective Actions: Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) will notify 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.

• 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.

• Accessories#2018028January 15, 2018

  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>.

• Seats And Restraints#2017257May 12, 2017

  4 units affected

  Certain school buses built with wall-mounted seat options may fail to conform to Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 222 – School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection. The seats may not have been installed with under-rail washers as intended. Without the under-rail washers properly installed, the seats may not meet the seat anchorage requirements of the standard, which in the event of a crash, could increase the risk of injury to seat occupants. Correction: Dealers will inspect and seat mounting hardware will be replaced as necessary.

• Steering#2017099February 28, 2017

  3 units affected

  On certain school buses, the pinch bolt of the upper steering shaft may not have been tightened to the proper specification. This could lead to a loss of the mechanical connection between the steering wheel and front axle wheels, resulting in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will inspect and ensure proper torque of the upper steering shaft pinch bolt.

• Heater And Defroster#2016224May 13, 2016

  2 units affected

  On certain school buses equipped with a transmission retarder, a bypass fitting may locally increase the coolant system pressures beyond the application working pressure of the standard heater hoses. The maximum pressures do not exceed the burst-pressure of the hose but, over time hose fatigue may occur and lead to a premature failure of the heater hose. If the hose were to fail, it may lead to a coolant leak inside the bus body, which may come in contact with the occupants of the vehicle and cause burn injuries. Correction: Dealers will replace the affected heater hose.

• Heater And Defroster#2016222May 13, 2016

  21 units affected

  On certain school buses, the coolant line connected to the heater inside the bus may have been built with a fitting made out of incorrect material. This could restrict coolant flow and lead to premature failure of the elbow, causing a coolant leak inside the bus body. As a result, hot coolant may come in contact with the occupants of the vehicle and cause burn injuries. Correction: Dealers will replace buses built with a rubber elbow with a glass-filled nylon fitting.

• Accessories#2016063February 9, 2016

  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#2016016January 13, 2016

  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.

• Accessories#2015395September 8, 2015

  173 units affected

  On certain school buses equipped with a Ricon wheelchair lift, the lift platform sides may crack, which could cause the lift to lean against the vehicle door(s) and potentially fall out of the vehicle when the doors are opened, putting the lift operator at risk of injury. Correction: Ricon Corporation repair facilities will inspect lift platforms, link arms and bearings for cracks, damage or misalignment and if found to be damaged, link arms and/or platform will be replaced. Note: This recall supersedes recall 2014-330. Vehicles repaired under the previous recall will require re-inspection and potential repair.

• Engine#2015335July 24, 2015

  14 units affected

  On certain school buses equipped with Cummins Westport ISL-G engines, excessive engine crankcase pressure could cause the vent tube assembly molded rubber adapter to detach from the breather. This could allow engine oil to come in contact with hot surfaces, increasing the risk of fire resulting in injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will install clamps at both ends of the adapter of the breather tube assembly and reprogram the Electronic Control Module (ECM) to improve diagnostic capabilities.

• Accessories#2014330August 6, 2014

  173 units affected

  On certain school buses equipped with a Ricon wheelchair lift, the lift platform sides may crack, which could cause the lift to lean against the vehicle door(s) and potentially fall out of the vehicle when the doors are opened, putting the lift operator at risk of injury. Correction: Ricon Corporation repair facilities will inspect lift platforms for cracks and repair as necessary, and install a repair kit.

• Engine#2014051February 21, 2014

  15 units affected

  On certain vehicles equipped with Cummins ISL G or ISX12 G engines, incorrect engine ECU programming could cause the exhaust system temperature to become elevated during cold weather operation. This could also cause flames to be emitted from the exhaust. As a result, nearby combustible material could be ignited, increasing the risk of a fire, injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Authorized Cummins service facilities will update software programming.

• Fuel System#2013281August 14, 2013

  28 units affected

  On certain school buses, an information label may detach from the auxiliary heater fuel pickup tube and block the engine fuel suction tube, which could restrict or stop the flow of fuel to the engine. Engine stalling would result in a loss of vehicle propulsion which, in conjunction with traffic and road condition and the driver’s reactions, could increase the risk of a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will inspect the fuel tank. If a label is found, it will be removed from the tank.

• Engine#2011338September 13, 2011

  400 units affected

  On certain school buses equipped with a Cummins engine, the V-band clamps used to connect the inlet and outlet cone sections to the Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) / Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) include a T-bolt which can fracture and fail when subjected to stress or load. A fracture or failure of the T-bolt may cause the clamp to loosen and the inlet or outlet sections attached to the DOC/DPF housing to disconnect. Should this occur, hot exhaust gases can vent prior to exiting the tailpipe, creating a risk of combustion or damage to adjacent materials, which could result in a vehicle fire. If both clamps fail, the DOC/DPF housing could detach completely, separate from the vehicle, and strike another vehicle, stationary object, or bystander. These issues could result in property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Cummins will install updated V-band clamps.

• Accessories#2011142March 29, 2011

  142 units affected

  On certain vehicles equipped with a Carrier GenV EM-1 evaporator unit, the blower motor fuse assembly may allow the fuse to loosen over time, which could result in high resistance and arcing. If sufficient arcing occurs the fuse holder may melt, which could cause smoke and/or fire. A vehicle fire could result in property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Carrier will provide a retrofit kit along with installation instructions.

• Engine#2010339October 7, 2010

  442 units affected

  On certain school buses, the engine software may not react properly to certain aftertreatment device fault codes. The software may unnecessarily shutdown or may fail to shutdown a vehicle with an aftertreatment device over-temp fault. Unexpected shutdown of a vehicle may not allow the driver to completely exit the roadway, increasing the risk of a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury. Overheating of the aftertreatment device without engine shut down may result in a fire. Correction: Dealers will update the vehicle engine software.

• Other#2009286October 5, 2009

  13 units affected

  On certain school buses, a production change may end-up reducing the effective life of the stop arm lights. Should the lights fail, visibility of a stopped bus would be affected. This could increase the risk of a child or pedestrian being struck by a passing motorist, causing severe personal injury or death. Correction: Dealers will replace the safety stop arm light kit.

Canadian data updated August 24, 2026