The defect
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses equipped with Detroit DD8 Engines and Allison Transmissions. The Flex-Plate/Torque Converter fasteners may have been insufficiently tightened.
The risk
The loose bolts can become lodged in the starter, disabling the bus, resulting in an evacuation in an uncontrolled traffic situation, increasing the risk of an injury.
The remedy
DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten the fasteners, as necessary, free of charge. DTNA issued owners an interim notification on December 13, 2019. The recall began August 7, 2020. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-839.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner HDX | 2018, 2019, 2020 |
Components: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner HDX | 2018 | 0 | 26 |
| Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner HDX | 2019 | 1 | 21 |
| Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner HDX | 2020 | 0 | 18 |
Other power train recalls in 2019
43 of the 880 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2019 concerned the power train; Daimler Trucks North America LLC filed 213 campaigns in all.
| 19V923000 27 Dec 2019 | Autocar, LLC |
| 19V911000 19 Dec 2019 | PACCAR Incorporated |
| 19V900000 17 Dec 2019 | Prevost Cars, Inc. |
| 19V866000 6 Dec 2019 | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. |
| 19V857000 2 Dec 2019 | Piaggio Group Americas. Inc. |
| 19V855000 2 Dec 2019 | Subaru of America, Inc. |
| 19V815000 15 Nov 2019 | Triumph Motorcycles America, LTD |
| 19V817000 15 Nov 2019 | Chrysler (FCA US LLC) |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2019