Thomas Built Buses, Inc.: Structure › Body
Thomas Built Buses, Inc. reported this defect to federal regulators on Mar 5, 1997 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 24,082. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SCHOOL BUSES EQUIPPED WITH OUTWARD OPENING SERVICE DOORS. THE POSSIBILITY EXISTS FOR AN ITEM WORN BY A CHILD, SUCH AS A LONG DRAWSTRING, SASH, OR BACKPACK/BOOKBAG ACCESSORY, CAN BECOME CAUGHT IN A SMALL OPENING AT THE FLOOR LEVEL OF THE FORWARD DOOR POST.
The risk
IF AN ITEM WORN BY A CHILD WERE TO CATCH IN THE OPENING, AND THE DRIVER WERE TO CLOSE THE DOOR AND PUT THE VEHICLE IN MOTION, IT COULD RESULT IN INJURY OR DEATH TO THE CHILD.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FORWARD DOOR POST TO VERIFY THAT THE OPENING IS COMPLETELY ELIMINATED, AND IF NECESSARY, WILL INSTALL SEALANT IN ANY REMAINING PORTION OF THE OPENING.
6 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 Thomas Conventional | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 Thomas Conventional | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 Thomas Conventional | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993 Thomas Conventional | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 Thomas Conventional | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1991 Thomas Conventional | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
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 97V031000.
Full record for the 1996 Thomas Conventional → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →