The defect
Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2027 Thomas Built SAF-T-LINER HDX2 and Thomas Built SAF-T-LINER EFX2 school buses. The connector plates for the driver's seat belt anchor and an interior body joint seam may be missing, resulting in insufficient structural reinforcements. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages," and 221, "School Bus Body Joint Strength."
The risk
A seat belt anchor with a missing connector plate may fail to properly restrain the driver and insufficient joint strength may not adequately protect passengers, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the header connectors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 23, 2026. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-574-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is F1038.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner EFX2 | 2027 |
| Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner HDX2 | 2027 |
Components: SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | STRUCTURE:BODY
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 EFX2 | 2027 | 0 | 1 |
| Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner HDX2 | 2027 | 0 | 6 |
Other structure recalls in 2026
49 of the 666 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2026 concerned the structure; Daimler Trucks North America, LLC filed 166 campaigns in all.
| 26V677000 15 Oct 2026 | Volvo Trucks North America |
| 26V665000 9 Oct 2026 | Altec Industries, Inc. |
| 26V637000 2 Oct 2026 | Altec Industries, Inc. |
| 26V635000 1 Oct 2026 | Daimler Trucks North America, LLC |
| 26V631000 1 Oct 2026 | Mack Trucks, Inc. |
| 26V613000 24 Sept 2026 | Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC |
| 26V608000 23 Sept 2026 | Forest River, Inc. |
| 26V584000 10 Sept 2026 | Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2026