2014 Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner Efx School Bus Recall

On certain school bus seats, the plastic trim (bezel) where the shoulder seat belt comes out of the seatback may be too hard. Canadian regulations have requirements for anything that is installed in certain areas of the seatback. Note: This only affects school buses equipped with certain Syntec M2K and S3C passenger seats with lap/shoulder seat belts.

While this plastic trim is doesn't technically meet the requirements of Canadian regulations, it's unlikely to cause an injury.

This is not a recall. The company made changes in 2017, and all new seats made after that time have a soft vinyl cover trim for the shoulder seat belt.

Certain school buses may not meet Canadian regulations for roof panel joint strength.

A roof joint that is not strong enough could increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your bus to a DTNA authorized service facility to add additional fasteners to the roof lap joints.

This recall affects certain school buses equipped with SynTec S3B and/or S3C passenger seats. On some seats, the protective foam in certain areas of the seatback may not meet the knee impact requirements of Canadian regulations.

A seatback that does not have proper knee impact protection could increase the risk of injury to occupants in a crash.

The company will notify owners by mail and instruct them to take their vehicle to a Daimler Trucks of North America authorized service facility to install additional protective material in the seatbacks.

A problem with the left-rear brake caliper on certain school buses may cause the brake pads to drag and overheat. This could result in high temperatures, smoke, odour, or a possible fire.

A fire could increase the risk of injury. This could also result in an emergency evacuation of a school bus in an uncontrolled environment, which could also increase the risk of an injury.

The company will notify owners by mail and instruct them to take their vehicle to a Daimler Trucks North America authorized service facility to replace the left-rear brake caliper.

On certain school buses equipped with Syntec S3B restraint seats, under extreme operating conditions, such as adverse road conditions, repetitive shock loads, or occupant abuse, a metal fatigue crack may develop on the rear wall mount bracket of the seat. Over time, this could lead to the wall mount bracket fracturing, which in the event of a crash, could increase the risk of injury to seat occupants. Correction: Daimler Trucks of North America Service Facilities will inspect seats and install an additional wall bracket between the wall rail and the seat as necessary.

A failure of this component (seats and restraints) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain school buses equipped with a Ricon wheelchair lift, the lift platform sides may crack, which could cause the lift to lean against the vehicle door(s) and potentially fall out of the vehicle when the doors are opened, putting the lift operator at risk of injury. Correction: Ricon Corporation repair facilities will inspect lift platforms, link arms and bearings for cracks, damage or misalignment and if found to be damaged, link arms and/or platform will be replaced. Note: This recall supersedes recall 2014-330. Vehicles repaired under the previous recall will require re-inspection and potential repair.

A failure of this component (accessories) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain school buses equipped with a Ricon wheelchair lift, the lift platform sides may crack, which could cause the lift to lean against the vehicle door(s) and potentially fall out of the vehicle when the doors are opened, putting the lift operator at risk of injury. Correction: Ricon Corporation repair facilities will inspect lift platforms for cracks and repair as necessary, and install a repair kit.

A failure of this component (accessories) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain school buses, an information label may detach from the auxiliary heater fuel pickup tube and block the engine fuel suction tube, which could restrict or stop the flow of fuel to the engine. Engine stalling would result in a loss of vehicle propulsion which, in conjunction with traffic and road condition and the driver’s reactions, could increase the risk of a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will inspect the fuel tank. If a label is found, it will be removed from the tank.

A failure of this component (fuel system) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain school buses, the 20-amp headlamp circuit breaker may trip during continuous operation in the high beam mode, resulting in a temporary loss of power to the headlamps, marker lamps, tail lamps and dash lighting, until the circuit breaker cools and automatically resets. Loss of headlamp illumination, should it occur during a rainy/snowy day, or during hours of darkness, could compromise the driver’s ability to see the road and its users. Also, failure of the lighting system could render the vehicle less visible to other motorists. These issues could result in a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will replace the 20-amp circuit breaker with a 30-amp breaker.

A failure of this component (lights and instruments) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).