Car Problem DataNHTSA records

2005 Thomas Saf-T-Liner ER

Routine

Owners filed 2 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system › wiring › fuses and circuit breakers. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Electrical System › Wiring › Fuses and Circuit Breakers2
020

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Vehicle Speed Control05V208000
Filed Apr 27, 2005153 vehiclesFreightliner Llc

Defect. CERTAIN MY 2002-2005 THOMAS BUILT SAF-T-LINER ER SCHOOL BUSES AND ER TRANSIT BUSES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN NOVEMBER 2002 AND FEBRUARY 2005 AND EQUIPPED WITH JOHN DEERE 8.1L COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS ENGINES MODELS HFN01 AND HFN03. THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT AND THROTTLE CAN UNEXPECTEDLY SURGE. THESE UNITS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 124, ACCELERATOR CONTROL SYSTEMS.

Risk. A SUDDEN ENGINE SURGE COULD POSSIBLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy. JOHN DEERE WILL NOTIFY THE CUSTOMERS OF FREIGHTLINER/THOMAS BUILT AND WILL UPDATE THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT SOFTWARE FREE OF CHARGE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT JOHN DEERE AT 1-800-JD-ENGINE.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Electrical System › Wiring › Fuses and Circuit BreakersFire
Filed Feb 26, 200711,062 milesIN

PRINTED CIRCUIT PANEL LOCATED UNDER SIDE PANEL OF BUS OVERHEATED AND HAD A SMALL FIRE. THIS PROBLEM IS COVERED UNDER RECALL 06V-136 BUT DOES COVER THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. IT APPEARS THAT THIS RECALL NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED TO COVER MORE VEHICLES, WE HAVE HAD A 50% FAILURE RATE OF THIS PARTICULAR COMPONENT. *NM

Electrical System › Wiring › Fuses and Circuit BreakersFire
Filed Feb 26, 200723,558 milesIN

PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD OVERHEATS AND CATCHES FIRE. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED BEFORE AND WE HAVE HAD A 50% FAILURE RATE ON THIS MODEL BUS. THIS PART IS COVERED UNDER RECALL 06V-136 BUT DOES NOT COVER THE MANUFACTURE DATE OF THIS BUS. *NM

2 of 2 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2005
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
2005 — this page2120Routine
20040100Routine
20030100Routine
20020100Routine

Compare every Saf-T-Liner ER year →

Other Thomas models

All Thomas models →
School Bus 21Thomas 10Mvp EF 7Bus 7Saf-T-Liner 5FS-65 3C2 3

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: Apr 27, 2005. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.