The defect
Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner EFX, and Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses. The steering arm and tie rod bolts may have a defective seam that can fracture.
The risk
A fractured bolt may cause a loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the tie rod arm bolts and steering arm, free of charge. The recall began on June 10, 2021. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-884.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner C2 | 2021, 2022 |
| Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner EFX | 2021, 2022 |
| Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner HDX | 2021, 2022 |
Components: STEERING:CRITICAL FASTENERS | STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY
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 C2 | 2021 | 0 | 15 |
| Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner C2 | 2022 | 1 | 12 |
| Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner EFX | 2021 | 0 | 7 |
| Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner EFX | 2022 | 0 | 6 |
| Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner HDX | 2021 | 0 | 16 |
| Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner HDX | 2022 | 0 | 11 |
Other steering recalls in 2021
65 of the 988 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2021 concerned the steering; Daimler Trucks North America, LLC filed 166 campaigns in all.
| 21V989000 17 Dec 2021 | Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC |
| 21V968000 14 Dec 2021 | Lion Electric Company |
| 21V954000 9 Dec 2021 | Subaru of America, Inc. |
| 21V946000 8 Dec 2021 | Daimler Trucks North America, LLC |
| 21V920000 23 Nov 2021 | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing |
| 21V918000 23 Nov 2021 | Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) |
| 21V891000 17 Nov 2021 | Sutphen Corporation |
| 21V885000 16 Nov 2021 | Jayco, Inc. |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2021