2018 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Efx

Routine

No owner complaints are on file for this vehicle. It has been recalled 14 times.

14 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Structure › Body › Roof and Pillars22V762000
Filed Oct 12, 202217,613 vehiclesDaimler Trucks North America, Llc

Defect. Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2011-2023 Thomas Built EFX and HDX school buses. The exterior roof panel was manufactured with insufficient joint strength. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 221, "School Bus Body Joint Strength."

Risk. A school bus exterior roof panel with insufficient joint strength may separate during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy. Dealers will add additional mechanical fasteners to secure the joints, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 2, 2023. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL957.

Seats › Mid/Rear Assembly22V510000
Filed Jul 19, 20221,806 vehiclesDaimler Trucks North America, Llc

Defect. Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2014-23 Thomas Built Buses HDX and 2014-22 EFX school buses equipped with 39-inch S3C seat frames and 3-point flex seatbelts. The passenger seat frames may crack and rotate from fatigue.

Risk. Cracked passenger seat frames may not adequately secure passengers in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy. Dealers will secure the seat frames with brackets, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mail December 4, 2023. Owners may contact DTNA's customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL946.

Seats19V712000
Filed Oct 4, 201953,528 vehiclesDaimler Trucks North America Llc

Defect. Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2014-2020 Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner EFX, Minotour, Saf-T-Liner C2, and Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses equipped with SynTec S3B or S3C seats. The seats may have been manufactured with styrene blocks that may not provide sufficient impact absorption in certain specific areas around the steel seat frame of the back support. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 222, "School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection."

Risk. The lack of impact absorption increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy. DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will install additional impact material between the re-bond back and the vinyl back cover to increase the amount of absorption, free of charge. DTNA issued owners an interim notification on November 29, 2019. The recall began June 22, 2020. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-832.

Service Brakes, Air › Disc19V444000
Filed Jun 11, 201911,546 vehiclesDaimler Trucks North America Llc

Defect. Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2010-2020 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2, 2016-2019 HDX, and 2017-2019 EFX school buses equipped with Bendix Air Disc Brakes. The driver side rear brakes may drag.

Risk. The dragging brakes may lead to high temperatures at the wheel end, increasing the risk of smoke and fire, possibly resulting in the bus having to be evacuated, which can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy. DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will install a new caliper with an updated clearance adjustment mechanism, free of charge. The recall began August 9, 2019. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-818.

Suspension › Front › Control Arm18V914000
Filed Dec 19, 201873 vehiclesDaimler Trucks North America Llc

Defect. Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner HDX, C2, and EFX School Buses, equipped with Detroit Axle axles. The affected vehicles may have loose steering tie rod arm bolts.

Risk. Loose tie rod arm bolts may lead to separation of the tie rod arm, affecting vehicle steering, and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. DTNA has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the steering arm and tie rod arm bolts for to make sure that they are properly tightened, installing new fasteners as necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 9, 2019. Owners may contact Daimler Trucks at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-802.

Service Brakes, Air › Disc › Caliper18V702000
Filed Oct 5, 20181,532 vehiclesDaimler Trucks North America Llc

Defect. Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Thomas Built school buses Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner HDX and Saf-T-Liner EFX school buses. The brake caliper mounting bolts may have been insufficiently tightened.

Risk. Loose brake caliper mounting bolts can reduce brake effectiveness, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. DTNA has notified owners, and dealers will check and tighten the brake caliper mounting bolts, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2018. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-794.

Service Brakes, Air › Supply › Check Valve18V410000
Filed Jun 15, 20185 vehiclesDaimler Trucks North America Llc

Defect. Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner EFX transit buses. The check valve for the air brake system may not be plumbed correctly which can cause the primary air system to not be isolated from the secondary air system.

Risk. In the event of a rapid loss of air pressure in the secondary system, the incorrectly plumbed check valve can cause rapid air loss in both secondary and primary system, causing the parking brakes to activate suddenly. This will increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy. DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair the check valve as needed, free of charge. The recall began on August 12, 2018. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-774.

Service Brakes, Air › Supply › Check Valve18V409000
Filed Jun 15, 2018109 vehiclesDaimler Trucks North America Llc

Defect. Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner EFX school buses. The check valve for the air brake system may not be plumbed correctly which can cause the primary air system to not be isolated from the secondary air system.

Risk. In the event of a rapid loss of air pressure in the secondary system, the incorrectly plumbed check valve can cause rapid air loss in both secondary and primary system, causing the parking brakes to activate suddenly. This will increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy. DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair the check valve as needed, free of charge. The recall began on August 12, 2018. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-774.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Caliper18V352000
Filed May 29, 20182,767 vehiclesDaimler Trucks North America Llc

Defect. Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner EFX and Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses equipped with air disc brakes. The brake caliper mounting bolts on these vehicles may be insufficiently tightened, allowing the bolts to loosen.

Risk. If the brake caliper mounting bolts come loose, braking performance may be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake caliper mounting bolts and tighten them as necessary, free of charge. DTNA issued owners an interim notification on July 25, 2018. The recall began September 4, 2018. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-772.

Seats18V253000
Filed Apr 19, 201823,102 vehiclesDaimler Trucks North America Llc

Defect. Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner HDX, Saf-T-Liner EFX, and Minotour school buses equipped with S3B Restraint Wall Mounted Seats. The wall mounting bracket may crack, causing the seat to not remain secured in place in the event of a crash.

Risk. In the event of a crash, if the seat does not remain secured to the wall, the occupant has an increased risk of an injury.

Remedy. DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional wall mounting bracket, free of charge. Daimler issued owners an interim notification on June 12, 2018. The recall began January 3, 2019. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-769.

Showing 10 of 14 campaigns, newest first.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2009
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20260200Routine
20250500Routine
20240200Routine
20230600Routine
20220600Routine
20210700Routine
20200800Routine
201901000Routine
2018 — this page01400Routine
201701600Routine
201601200Routine
201501200Routine
201401500Routine
20130900Routine
20120400Routine
20110300Routine
20100200Routine
20091200Routine
20080200Routine
20070200Routine
20060200Routine

Compare every Saf-T-Liner Efx year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Oct 12, 2022. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.