2003 Thomas Built Buses Fs-65 Recalls

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.

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.