Thomas Built Buses Fs-65 2004
Model Fs-65 made in 2004 by Thomas Built Buses got 1 consumer complain, 5 investigations there are 6 recalls as well as 2 service bulletins. Consumer complaints with reference to electrical system. . Technical service bulletines regarding structure. The car had some investigations: electrical system, steering and structure. There were some recalls concerningelectrical system, equipment adaptive and steering.
Model 2004
Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | ||||||||||||||||
| 07V544000 | FREIGHTLINER LLC | from 10/23/2000 to 01/24/2006 | V (Vehicle) | 33303 | 03/28/2008 | ODI | FREIGHTLINER LLC | 11/29/2007 | 11/29/2007 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Certain 2001 through 2008 thomas built fs-56, er, mvp er, hdx, and mvp ef school buses manufactured from october 23, 2000, through january 24, 2006, equipped with tyco pc board and type ii auto reset circuit breakers. type ii auto reset circuit breaker temperatures may exceed the rating of the tyco pc board causing the boards to melt potentially resulting in a vehicle fire. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | A vehicle fire can occur possibly resulting in a crash. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Thomas built will notify owners and repair the buses by replacing the type ii auto reset circuit breakers with manual circuit breakers, and the jumper cable. the recall began on march 28, 2008. owners may contact thomas built customer support office at 336-889-4871. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Freightliner recall no. fl-516.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov. | |||||||||||||||
| 06V136000 | FREIGHTLINER LLC | from 10/04/2004 to 02/14/2006 | V (Vehicle) | 11666 | 06/30/2006 | ODI | FREIGHTLINER LLC | 04/25/2006 | 04/25/2006 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Certain my 2004 through 2006 thomas built hdx, ef, and fs-65 school buses manufactured between october 4, 2004, and february 14, 2006. the body power distribution module (pdm) was manufactured with copper circuits that are too thin for the electrical loads encountered, possibly causing the board to overheat. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | If the pdm overheats it may generate smoke and could result in a fire. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Thomas built will notify owners and will replace the pdm's thin copper circuits with thicker copper circuits. the recall began on june 30, 2006. owners may contact thomas built at 1-877-660-4938. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Freightliner recall no. fl-475.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov. | |||||||||||||||
| EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE | ||||||||||||||||
| 08V088000 | DAIMLER TRUCKS NORTH AMERICA | from 07/06/2005 to 07/19/2006 | V (Vehicle) | 760 | 08/08/2008 | MFR | FREIGHTLINER LLC | 02/26/2008 | 02/27/2008 | 571 | 403 | |||||
| Defect Summary | Daimler trucks is recalling 760 my 2003-2007 thomas built school buses manufactured between july 6, 2005 and july 19, 2006, equipped with braun wheelchair lifts, models nl, ncl, or nvl. the threshold warning systems of the subject model wheelchair lifts fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 403, platform lift systems for motor vehicles. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | Should the threshold warning system fail to operate, the lift user can fall from the vehicle and be seriously injured. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Daimler trucks will notify owners and provide a free remedy which will be performed by thomas built dealerships. the recall began on august 8, 2008. owners may contact thomas built at 336-889-4871. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Daimler trucks recall no. fl-524.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov. | |||||||||||||||
| 06V150000 | FREIGHTLINER LLC | from 06/16/2005 to 07/01/2005 | V (Vehicle) | 45 | 06/23/2006 | MFR | FREIGHTLINER LLC | 05/03/2006 | 05/03/2006 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Certain my 2004-2007 thomas built minotour, fs65, mvp-ef, and hdx model school buses, manufactured between june 16 and july 1, 2005, equipped with ricon wheelchair lifts. cracks in the lift arms may allow the mechanism to twist during stowage, preventing closure of the safety interlock switches. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | In the event this condition occurs during passenger operations it may not be possible to close the lift door causing the vehicle interlocks to remain engaged preventing movement of the vehicle or the ability to load or unload passengers with disabilities from the vehicle. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Ricon is conducting this recall (please see 06e008000) and will replace the two vertical arms even if only one arm is cracked free of charge. the recall is expected to begin on may 30, 2006. owners may contact ricon customer support dept. at 800-322-2884 or owners may contact thomas bus customer support office at 336-889-4871. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Freightliner recall no. fl-473.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov. | |||||||||||||||
| STEERING - COLUMN | ||||||||||||||||
| 07V289000 | FREIGHTLINER LLC | from 10/23/2004 to 03/21/2006 | V (Vehicle) | 25643 | 08/30/2007 | ODI | FREIGHTLINER LLC | 07/03/2007 | 07/05/2007 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Certain freightliner school buses and trucks manufactured from october 23, 2004, to march 21, 2006. during the steering column manufacturing process two welds may have been missing. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | Columns with two welds missing may fatigue and fracture and allow the steering wheel to progressively be moved out of its normal position which may cause the steering to respond differently than expected. if this condition is ignored, a crash may occur. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Freightliner will notify owners and inspect and repair the affected vehicle free of charge. the recall began on august 30, 2007. owners can contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Freightliner recall no. fl-503.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov. | |||||||||||||||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR - HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS | ||||||||||||||||
| 08V087000 | DAIMLER TRUCKS NORTH AMERICA | from 01/01/1994 to 03/10/2008 | V (Vehicle) | 243435 | 08/18/2008 | ODI | FREIGHTLINER LLC | 02/26/2008 | 02/27/2008 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Daimler trucks is recalling 243,435 my 1995-2008 thomas built school buses manufactured between january 1994, and march 10, 2008. (additional buses have been added to this recall campaign. please see supplemental report no. 4) the emergency exit door handle begins corroding around the securing roll pin and square drive mechanism causing the protective finish to chip and flake. continued corrosion and pitting weakens the handle. handles weakened by corrosion may break while trying to open the door from the exterior. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | In the event of an emergency, a person on the outside of the bus may break the door handle trying to open the emergency exit potentially delaying evacuation and increasing the risk of personal injury to the vehicle's occupants. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Daimler trucks will notify owners and will replace the handles with a more robust handle free of charge. repairs will be performed by thomas built buses dealerships. the recall began on august 18, 2008, and notification for the revised population is expected to begin on or about april 29, 2009. owners may contact thomas built at 336-889-4871. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Daimler trucks recall no. fl-525.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov. | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR | |||||
| 51R3 | 02/14/2008 | 10025902 | Thomas built buses: there have been reports of the forward door leaf hex shaft breaking. *pe | 09/15/2008 | |
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR - HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS | |||||
| 51R3 | 02/14/2008 | 10025902 | Thomas built buses: there have been reports of the forward door leaf hex shaft breaking. *pe | 09/15/2008 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | ||||||
| PE07029 | FREIGHTLINER LLC | 06/20/2007 | 11/29/2007 | SIDE ELECTRICAL FUSE PANEL FIRES | 07V544000 | |
| The office of defects investigation (odi) opened this investigation after becoming aware of two school bus fires that started in the side mounted electrical fuse panel on a pair of thomas built school buses.thefleet owner had reported the bus interiors filled with smoke, certain electrical devices became inoperative, and the buses stalled. the two buses involved in the fire incidents have consecutive vin numbers and the fires were similar, but not identical to a previous recall (06v-136) conducted by thomas built.these buses were not included in the prior recall, which involved a defective power distribution module (pdm).after further technical evaluation, freightliner decided they would conduct a safety recall to correct deficiencies in theprevious recall and also expand the population to capture all affected buses.the corrective action freightliner plans to take will be forwarded to odi when available. accordingly, this investigation is closed. | ||||||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | ||||||
| PE06012 | FREIGHTLINER LLC | 03/08/2006 | 06/15/2006 | ELECTRICAL PANEL FIRES | 06V136000 | |
| This investigation was opened based on four allegations of school bus fires in the power distribution module (pdm) area of the subject buses.during the investigation, odi learned thatbuses built between october 4, 2004 and february 14, 2006 were equipped with pdm | ||||||
| STEERING | ||||||
| EA07002 | FREIGHTLINER LLC | 01/30/2007 | 07/12/2007 | STEERING COLUMN WELD CRACKS | 07V289000 | |
| As a result of the odi investigation, freightliner has agreed to recall (number 07v-289) all of the vehicles manufactured with steering columns potentially missing welds.the recall remedy will involve inspecting the recalled vehicles for missing welds and if found replace the steering column.early warning aggregate data submitted to nhtsa by freightliner suggested that a steering problem (ewr code 01) existed for the 2004 and 2005 century and columbia class vehicles.the count of field reports submitted for the first quarter of 2006 was higher than the average of the previous 6 quarters for the aggregate steering data.odi's further review of the ewr data foundfield reports that described steering column failures as a result of steering column welds cracking or breaking.information received from freightliner detailed failures of the steering columns on the subject vehicles.these failures were the result of missing and cracked welds on the steering column assembly.during testing of vehicles containing defective steering columns, odi determined that weld failures in the steering column create a situation where the vehicle becomes difficult to steer or may startle the driver upon failing, thus presenting a safety risk.a copy of the recall is attached.freightliner's action resolves the issues raised by this investigation and, therefore, this investigation is closed. | ||||||
| STEERING - COLUMN | ||||||
| EA07002 | FREIGHTLINER LLC | 01/30/2007 | 07/12/2007 | STEERING COLUMN WELD CRACKS | 07V289000 | |
| As a result of the odi investigation, freightliner has agreed to recall (number 07v-289) all of the vehicles manufactured with steering columns potentially missing welds.the recall remedy will involve inspecting the recalled vehicles for missing welds and if found replace the steering column.early warning aggregate data submitted to nhtsa by freightliner suggested that a steering problem (ewr code 01) existed for the 2004 and 2005 century and columbia class vehicles.the count of field reports submitted for the first quarter of 2006 was higher than the average of the previous 6 quarters for the aggregate steering data.odi's further review of the ewr data foundfield reports that described steering column failures as a result of steering column welds cracking or breaking.information received from freightliner detailed failures of the steering columns on the subject vehicles.these failures were the result of missing and cracked welds on the steering column assembly.during testing of vehicles containing defective steering columns, odi determined that weld failures in the steering column create a situation where the vehicle becomes difficult to steer or may startle the driver upon failing, thus presenting a safety risk.a copy of the recall is attached.freightliner's action resolves the issues raised by this investigation and, therefore, this investigation is closed. | ||||||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR - HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS | ||||||
| PE07054 | FREIGHTLINER LLC | 11/09/2007 | 03/04/2008 | EMERGENCY DOOR HANDLE FAILURE | 08V087000 | |
| The office of defects investigation opened this preliminary evaluationafterbecoming aware that fleets were having handle failures on the rear emergency door exit.the failure resulted in the door handle separating from thedoor latch mechanism.when the handle fails, the rear emergency exit door can not be opened from outside the bus.the failure results from corrosion of the exterior door handle around the securing roll pin and square drive latch mechanism, causing the protective finish to chip and flake.continued corrosion weakens the handle and eventually the handle may break while trying to open the exit door.odi was concerned that during an emergency, a person outside of the bus would break the door handle while trying to open the emergency exit door,potentially delaying evacuation of the bus.under the safety recall, the aluminum handles will be replaced with a more robust handle.the recall action resolves the issues raised by this investigation. accordingly, this investigation is closed. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | |||
| 05/13/2005 | 35000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 thomas built fs-65/ freightliner school bus. the contact stated that the fuse panels and cables leading to the fuse panels burned in the vehicle. he replaced the panels on approximately 30 buses. he received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign id number 07v544000 (electrical system:fuses and circuit breakers), and stated that the recall should have been extended to the fuse panels as well. the current mileage was 68,213 and failure mileage was approximately 35,000. | |||