2002 Thomas Saf-T-Liner Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2002 Thomas Saf-T-Liner, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Airbags150.0%
- Powertrain (other)150.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE AIR BAG DEFLATED CAUSING THE DRIVE SHAFT TO FAIL AND SEPARATE FROM THE BUS. THE REPAIR WAS DONE, BUT THE AIR BAG DEFLATED AGAIN. *YH
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
DRIVER HEARD A NOISE FROM THE REAR OF THE BUS AND PULLED OVER AND CHECKED THE BUS. AIR RIDE BAGS WERE DEPLOYED. FOUND PROBLEM - A NUT HAD FALLEN OFF THE CONTROL ARM OF THE AIR PRESSURE VALVE, CAUSING AIR RIDE BAGS TO DEFLATE. IT WAS REPAIRED. BUS CONTINUED ON ROUTE. 15-20 SECONDS INTO ROUTE, DRIVE SHAFT FAILED AND BROKE OFF THE BUS, STRIKING A PASSING VEHICLE. IT KNOCKED A HOLE IN THE GAS TANK OF THE PASSING VEHICLE. WE WERE NOT WARNED THAT IF AIR RIDE BAGS WERE DEPLOYED, THE DRIVE LINE WOULD FAIL, WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED DEATH TO STUDENTS ON THE BUS, PASSING MOTORISTS OR PEDESTRIANS.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .