RoadVitals

2005 Thomas Saf-T-Liner Er

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.
2
Latest Feb 26, 2007
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.
1
Latest Apr 27, 2005
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.
2

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2005 Thomas Saf-T-Liner Er, most frequently naming the electrical category. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 1 manufacturer communication is 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

  • Electrical2100.0%

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

1 campaign 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
05V208000

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Apr 27, 2005
153 units potentially affected
The 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.
The risk: A SUDDEN ENGINE SURGE COULD POSSIBLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
The 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.
FREIGHTLINER LLCManufacturer number FL-450View on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

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

EA07002ClosedEngineering Analysis

STEERING COLUMN WELD CRACKS

Opened Jan 30, 2007
Closed Jul 12, 2007

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:COLUMNLed to recall 07V289000

Recent owner complaints

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

Electrical
Filed Feb 26, 2007
Fire reported

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

NHTSA ID
10183520
Incident
Feb 26, 2006
Mileage
23,558 mi
Electrical
Filed Feb 26, 2007
Fire reported

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

NHTSA ID
10183518
Incident
Jan 22, 2006
Mileage
11,062 mi

Manufacturer communications

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

PS-13-8

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:SLACK ADJUSTERS:AUTOMATIC

THOMAS BUILT BUS: ALL MODELS OF THOMAS BUSES USING AUTOMATIC SLACK ADJUSTERS. THE AUTOMATIC SLACK ADJUSTERS ARE ROUTINELY BEING ADJUSTED BY SOME OPERATORS AND SERVICE TECHNICIANS TO MAKE BRAKE PUSHROD STROKE APPEAR TO BE WITH LEGAL BRAKE ADJUSTMENT LIMITS, OR TO COMPENSATE FOR MIS-DIAGNOSED OUT OF ADJUSTMENT CONDITIONS CAUSED BY WORN OR DAMAGED FOUNDATION BRAKE COMPONENTS. *PE

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 Saf-T-Liner Er by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2005Viewing211—
2004011—
2003010—
2002011—

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.