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

Transport Canada lists 9 campaigns and the U.S. NHTSA lists 0 for the 2018 Thomas Built SAF-T-Liner HDX 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 HDX 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 HDX School BUS recalls

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

Canadian recalls: 09
U.S. recalls: 00
Total campaigns: 09

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

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 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.

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