RoadVitals

2011 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Hdx

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

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.
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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.
23
Latest Oct 12, 2022
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.
1
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.
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Overview

Our database contains no NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2011 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Hdx. 23 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 114 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.

Safety recalls

23 campaigns cover this model year

View all 23

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
22V762000

STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

Oct 12, 2022
17,613 units potentially affected
The 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."
The risk: A school bus exterior roof panel with insufficient joint strength may separate during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The 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.
Daimler Trucks North America, LLCManufacturer number FL957View on NHTSA.gov
22V634000

SEATS:BARRIERS

Aug 19, 2022
7,561 units potentially affected
The defect: Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2011-2021 Thomas Built Saf-T Liner HDX school buses. The forward seat barriers may not provide sufficient protection to passengers. 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."
The risk: Occupants may collide with the front seat barriers with more force than intended during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy: Dealers will install a spacer between the seat rail and the seat barrier, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 25, 2023. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL843. This recall replaces NHTSA recall 19V899.
Daimler Trucks North America, LLCManufacturer number FL843View on NHTSA.gov
20V252000

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS; STRUCTURE:EMERGENCY:ESCAPE/EGRESS/EXIT

May 5, 2020
7,979 units potentially affected
The defect: Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2010-2020 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses. The lettering on the instruction label for the rear emergency exit window may be too small. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 217, "Bus Emergency Exits and Window Retention and Release."
The risk: Small lettering may be difficult for occupants to read, delaying the reaction time to open the exit, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy: DTNA will notify owners and mail a new label to attach to the exit window by first class mail, free of charge. DTNA issued owners an interim notification on June 17, 2020. The recall began September 10, 2020. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-849.
Daimler Trucks North America LLCManufacturer number FL-849View on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

PE11029ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

Thomas Built CNG Tank Abrasion

Opened Sep 2, 2011
Closed Feb 17, 2012

On August 29, 2011 ODI received a Vehicle Owner's Questionnaire (VOQ) from a Los Angeles school district indicating a 2003 Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner HDX compressed natural gas (CNG) school bus in their fleet had insufficient clearance between the CNG tank and mounting bracket resulting in damage to the outer tank wrapping.The Mathematical Analysis Division of NHTSA calculated that a sample size of thirty (30) buses would give a high confidence (90%) estimation of whether similar buses were experiencing tank abrasion.In the course of this investigation nearly 70 buses (over 300 tanks) were inspected; no tank other than the subject of the VOQ was found to have insufficient clearance.Busses manufactured before and after the subject vehicle were inspected.As a result of this investigation, Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) developed an improved inspection procedure that addresses the concerns identified in the Los Angeles complaint.In early February 2012 DTNA will mail an owner letter along with the new inspection procedure.See the investigative file for copies of DTNA's bulletin and owner letter.This preliminary evaluation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists.The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by circumstances.The ODI report cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification (ODI) number:10423400

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE

Recent owner complaints

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

No owner complaints recorded for this model year

Either none have been filed with NHTSA, or this vehicle is too new for reports to have accumulated.

Manufacturer communications

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

SS 306-TBB

ENGINE

Service Solution for HDX DEF Header Service Replacement Additional Parts

SS293-TBB

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Service Solution for Wiper Module TBB 61201552 replacement

WP20-018R

POWER TRAIN; STEERING

Revised Warranty Policy Letter for Alliance/Mascot Aftermarket Warranty and Claim Filing. Revisions are in blue. With Mascot now in partnership with Detroit Reman and Alliance Parts, DTNA is pleased to announce that Mascot coverage has been added to OWL. Remanufactured Alliance/Mascot parts include transmission, differential, steering gear, and steering pump used in an on-highway vehicle applications. The Alliance/Mascot aftermarket warranty coverage period has not changed: depending on the part, coverage is for one (1) or two (2) years and current parts, labor, and reimbursement policies apply.

WP20-018

EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY; POWER TRAIN; STEERING

Warranty Policy Letter for Alliance/Mascot Aftermarket Warranty and Claim Filing. With Mascot now in partnership with Detroit Reman and Alliance Parts, DTNA is pleased to announce that Mascot coverage has been added to OWL. Remanufactured Alliance/Mascot parts include transmission, differential, steering gear, and steering pump used in an on-highway vehicle applications. The Alliance/Mascot aftermarket warranty coverage period has not changed: depending on the part, coverage is for one (1) or two (2) years and current parts, labor, and reimbursement policies apply.

PAB036-2020

EQUIPMENT

Thomas Built Buses Product Awareness Bulletin on Lettering Changes - Notification

TechTalk4725

EQUIPMENT; STEERING

Tech Talk discussion about power steering fluid.

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 Hdx by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026030—
2025030—
2024020—
2023080—
20220110—
20210160—
20200180—
20191210—
20180260—
20170320—
20160290—
20150310—
20140300—
20130230—
20120190—
2011Viewing0231—
20100161—
20091141—
20080141—
20070101—
2006191—
2005051—
2004251—
2003051—
2002010—
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.