RoadVitals

2009 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Efx

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
1
Latest Mar 15, 2016
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
2
Latest Sep 4, 2015
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 2009 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Efx, most frequently naming the interior & seats category. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 99 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Interior & seats1100.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

2 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
15V565000

EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

Sep 4, 2015
4,334 units potentially affected
The defect: Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain model year 2006-2015 Thomas Built Buses FS-65, Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner EF, Saf-T-Liner EFX, Saf-T-Liner HDX, and Minotour DRW school buses manufactured January 3, 2006, to August 1, 2014, and equipped with certain Ricon model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505, S5510 wheelchair lifts. The affected lifts are equipped with folding link arms that may have pivot holes that are too big, allowing the bearings to move out of position.
The risk: If the bearings move out of position, the stowed platform may have excessive movement resulting in failure of the platform mounting. This failure could cause the wheel chair lift platform to fall out of the vehicle when the doors are opened, increasing the risk of injury for the lift operator.
The remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the link arms for damage or for displaced bearings. The platform will be inspected for cracks. Any damaged parts will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began onNovember 2, 2015. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-745-8000. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-686.
Daimler Trucks North America LLCManufacturer number FL-686View on NHTSA.gov
15V564000

EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

Sep 4, 2015
52 units potentially affected
The defect: Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain model year 2006-2015 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX, Saf-T-Liner EF, Saf-T-Liner EFX, and Minotour DRW transit buses manufactured January 3, 2006, to August 1, 2014, and equipped with certain Ricon model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505, S5510 wheelchair lifts. The affected lifts are equipped with folding link arms that may have pivot holes that are too big, allowing the bearings to move out of position.
The risk: If the bearings move out of position, the stowed platform may have excessive movement resulting in failure of the platform mounting. This failure could cause the wheel chair lift platform to fall out of the vehicle when the doors are opened, increasing the risk of injury for the lift operator.
The remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the link arms for damage or for displaced bearings. The platform will be inspected for cracks. Any damaged parts will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on November 2, 2015. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-745-8000. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-686.
Daimler Trucks North America LLCManufacturer number FL-686View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Interior & seats
Filed Mar 15, 2016

PASSENGER SEATS BACKS WELDS BREAKING AWAY FROM SEAT FRAME AND LEAVING NO STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY

NHTSA ID
10849689
Incident
Jan 1, 2016
Mileage
45,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

SS 305-TBB

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Service Solution for EFX AC Upper bracket TBB 130987 replaced with TBB 248310

PAB036-2020

EQUIPMENT

Thomas Built Buses Product Awareness Bulletin on Lettering Changes - Notification

PAB028-2020

EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

Thomas Built Buses Product Awareness Bulletin on Heater Hose Changes

PAB026-2020

SEATS

Thomas Built Buses Product Awareness Bulletin on National Driver’s Seat Update

PAB014-2020

EQUIPMENT

Thomas Built Buses Product Awareness Bulletin on Defender Composite Stop Arm Changes

PAB012-2020

VISIBILITY

Thomas Built Buses Product Awareness Bulletin on PV360 NS Camera – Type D

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Efx by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026020—
2025050—
2024020—
2023060—
2022060—
2021070—
2020080—
20190100—
20180140—
20170160—
20160120—
20150120—
20140150—
2013090—
2012040—
2011030—
2010020—
2009Viewing120—
2008020—
2007020—
2006020—
2005000—
2004000—
2003000—
2002000—
2001000—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.