NHTSA campaign 05V387000 · Part 573 safety recall report

Freightliner LLC: Steering › Column

Freightliner LLC reported this defect to federal regulators on Sep 6, 2005 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 1,840. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.

The defect

CERTAIN MY 2004 AND 2005 THOMAS BUILT SAF-T-LINER C2 SCHOOL BUSES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN JULY 2004 AND AUGUST 26, 2005. THE UPPER STEERING SHAFT PINCH BOLT MAY NOT BE CORRECTLY TIGHTENED, RESULTING IN THE POSSIBLE LOSS OF THE BOLT, ALLOWING JOINT SEPARATION AND LOSS OF STEERING.

The risk

SUDDEN LOSS OF STEERING WITHOUT WARNING COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

The remedy

ALL THOMAS BUILT AND FREIGHTLINER DEALERS AND DIRECT WARRANTY CUSTOMERS WERE CALLED ON AUGUST 26, 2005, AND NOTIFIED NOT TO DRIVE THESE BUSES UNTIL THEY HAVE BEEN INSPECTED. THE REMEDY PROCEDURE CALLS FOR THE INSPECTION OF THE STEERING PINCH BOLTS FOR THE PRESENCE OF TORQUE SEAL. BOLTS WITHOUT TORQUE SEAL WILL BE TIGHTENED TO FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS AND TORQUE SEAL ADDED. FOLLOW UP NOTIFICATION BY MAIL BEGAN AUGUST 27, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FREIGHTLINER AT 1-800-547-0712.

2 model years covered

Newest first
VehicleComplaintsRecallsFiresCrashes
2005 Thomas Saf-T-Liner C20400
2004 Thomas Saf-T-Liner C20400

What this page is, and what to do next

A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.

This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 05V387000.

Full record for the 2005 Thomas Saf-T-Liner C2 → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →