RECALLS — MAKE · MODEL · YEAR
2015 Thomas Built SAF-T-Liner HDX School BUS recalls
15 safety recall campaigns have been filed for the 2015 Thomas Built SAF-T-Liner HDX School BUS with Transport Canada and the U.S. NHTSA. Here is what both agencies say.
- Canadian recalls
- 15
- U.S. recalls
- 00
- Total campaigns
- 15
Transport Canada recalls
15- 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#2022680
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#2022577
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.
- Seats And Restraints#2019641
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#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.
- 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.
- 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>.
- Seats And Restraints#2017257
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.
- Heater And Defroster#2016224
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#2016222
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#2015395
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#2015335
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#2014330
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#2014051
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.
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 2015 Thomas Built SAF-T-Liner HDX School BUS VIN
A VIN decode confirms your vehicle's exact model year, trim and assembly plant, then runs this same recall check against it.