It appears the battery cables were rubbing the transmission cooler lines and after an extended period caused a thermal event. it burned wiring harnesses, the DEF pump and lines and a good portion of battery cable. Had there been children on the bus at the time of the thermal event it could have been catastrophic. This vehicle has been inspected by the Manufacturer and they are covering repairs. There has been an interim/info only recall issued. FL928-A.
The worst 2019 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Electrical1
- Transmission1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical1
- Transmission1
Recalls 21
Equipment: other: labels
- What is wrong
- Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain Thomas Built Buses 2019-2022 Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner EFX, Saf-T-Liner HDX, Minotour DRW, 2020-2022 Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley, and Minotour SRW school buses. The Emergency Exit Label lettering is too small and may be difficult to read. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 217, "Bus Emergency Exits and Window Retention and Release."
- Risk
- Emergency exit labels that are difficult to read can prevent or delay the use of the emergency exit, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will correct the lettering, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 5, 2024. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1‑800‑547‑0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL918.
Recall number 24V555000 · Recall details
Structure: body: roof and pillars
- What is wrong
- Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2011-2023 Thomas Built EFX and HDX school buses. The exterior roof panel was manufactured with insufficient joint strength. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 221, "School Bus Body Joint Strength."
- Risk
- A school bus exterior roof panel with insufficient joint strength may separate during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will add additional mechanical fasteners to secure the joints, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 2, 2023. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1‑800‑547‑0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL957.
Recall number 22V762000 · Recall details
Seats: barriers
- What is wrong
- Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2011-2021 Thomas Built Saf-T Liner HDX school buses. The forward seat barriers may not provide sufficient protection to passengers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 222, "School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection."
- Risk
- Occupants may collide with the front seat barriers with more force than intended during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a spacer between the seat rail and the seat barrier, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 25, 2023. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1‑800‑547‑0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL843. This recall replaces the federal safety agency recall 19V899.
Recall number 22V634000 · Recall details
Seats: mid/rear assembly
- What is wrong
- Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2014-23 Thomas Built Buses HDX and 2014-22 EFX school buses equipped with 39-inch S3C seat frames and 3-point flex seatbelts. The passenger seat frames may crack and rotate from fatigue.
- Risk
- Cracked passenger seat frames may not adequately secure passengers in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will secure the seat frames with brackets, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mail December 4, 2023. Owners may contact DTNA's customer service at 1‑800‑547‑0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL946.
Recall number 22V510000 · Recall details
Electrical system: 12v/24v/48v battery: cables
- What is wrong
- Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Thomas Built Bus HDX school buses. The positive battery cable may be routed improperly, allowing it to chafe against the transmission oil cooler hoses, which can cause an electrical short circuit.
- Risk
- An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and repair the cable routing, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 20, 2023. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1‑800‑547‑0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL928.
Recall number 22V271000 · Recall details
Electrical system: 12v/24v/48v battery: cables
- What is wrong
- Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Thomas Built Bus HDX commercial buses. The positive battery cable may be routed improperly, allowing it to chafe against the transmission oil cooler hoses, which can cause an electrical short circuit.
- Risk
- An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and repair the cable routing, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 20, 2023. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1‑800‑547‑0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL929.
Recall number 22V272000 · Recall details
Steering: hydraulic power assist: hose, piping, and connections
- What is wrong
- Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses equipped with an ISL or L9 engine. The power steering hose may be routed with inadequate clearance between the hose and the power cables.
- Risk
- A worn power steering hose increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- DTNA will inspect the power steering hose routing and modify it as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on October 17, 2021. Owners may contact DTNA's customer service at 1‑800‑547‑0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL898.
Recall number 21V659000 · Recall details
Steering: hydraulic power assist: hose, piping, and connections
- What is wrong
- Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX transit buses equipped with an ISL or L9 engine. The power steering hose may be routed with inadequate clearance between the hose and the power cables, potentially damaging the power steering hose.
- Risk
- A damaged power steering hose can leak, and increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- DTNA will inspect the power steering hose routing and modify it as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on October 17, 2021. Owners may contact DTNA's customer service at 1‑800‑547‑0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL898.
Recall number 21V660000 · Recall details
Seats
- What is wrong
- Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner HDX School Buses. These school buses may have been manufactured with an incorrect passenger seat configuration that does not provide the proper amount of seat back protection. As such, these school buses fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 222, "School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection."
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, the seats may not adequately protect the occupants, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the rear passenger seats, free of charge. No owner notification will be distributed, all units were repaired on August 12, 2021. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1‑800‑547‑0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-892.
Recall number 21V462000 · Recall details
Fuel system, diesel: fuel injection system: fuel rail
- What is wrong
- Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DNTA) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX School Buses. The sealing washer may not seat correctly in the pilot bore holes, allowing the high pressure fuel rail assembly to leak.
- Risk
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the fuel rail and fuel lines, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on June 21, 2021. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1‑800‑547‑0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-886.
Recall number 21V327000 · Recall details
Structure: emergency: escape/egress/exit
- What is wrong
- Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2010-2020 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses. The lettering on the instruction label for the rear emergency exit window may be too small. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 217, "Bus Emergency Exits and Window Retention and Release."
- Risk
- Small lettering may be difficult for occupants to read, delaying the reaction time to open the exit, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- DTNA will notify owners and mail a new label to attach to the exit window by first class mail, free of charge. DTNA issued owners an interim notification on June 17, 2020. The recall began September 10, 2020. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1‑800‑547‑0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-849.
Recall number 20V252000 · Recall details
Service brakes, air: disc: caliper
- What is wrong
- Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner HDX, EFX, and C2 school buses equipped with air disc brakes. The brake caliper mounting bolts may have been insufficiently tightened.
- Risk
- Loose brake caliper mounting bolts can reduce brake effectiveness, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair the vehicles, free of charge. The recall began May 2, 2020. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1‑800‑547‑0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-845.
Recall number 20V126000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: torque converter
- What is wrong
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Recall number 19V831000 · Recall details
Seats
- What is wrong
- Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2014-2020 Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner EFX, Minotour, Saf-T-Liner C2, and Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses equipped with SynTec S3B or S3C seats. The seats may have been manufactured with styrene blocks that may not provide sufficient impact absorption in certain specific areas around the steel seat frame of the back support. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 222, "School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection."
- Risk
- The lack of impact absorption increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
- Remedy
- DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will install additional impact material between the re-bond back and the vinyl back cover to increase the amount of absorption, free of charge. DTNA issued owners an interim notification on November 29, 2019. The recall began June 22, 2020. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1‑800‑547‑0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-832.
Recall number 19V712000 · Recall details
Structure: emergency: escape/egress/exit
- What is wrong
- Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Thomas Built Minotour, Saf-T Liner C2, Saf-T Liner EFX, and Saf-T Liner HDX school buses equipped with Safe Fleet Prolo Roof Escape hatches. Due to a manufacturing issue, the roof hatch external handle may unexpectedly break under reasonable use.
- Risk
- If the roof hatch external handle breaks, in the event of an emergency, the hatch cannot be easily opened from outside the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will install a new handle, free of charge. Owners were issued an interim notification on September 13, 2019. The recall began November 15, 2019. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1‑800‑547‑0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-819.
Recall number 19V550000 · Recall details
Structure: emergency: escape/egress/exit
- What is wrong
- Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2020 Thomas Built Minotour, 2019-2020 Saf-T Liner C2, and 2019 Saf-T Liner HDX buses equipped with Safe Fleet Roof Escape hatches. Due to a manufacturing issue, the roof hatch external handle may unexpectedly break under reasonable use.
- Risk
- If the roof hatch external handle breaks, in the event of an emergency, the hatch cannot be easily opened from outside the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will install a new handle, free of charge. DTNA issued owners an interim notification on September 11, 2019. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1‑800‑547‑0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-819.
Recall number 19V549000 · Recall details
Service brakes, air: disc
- What is wrong
- Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2010-2020 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2, 2016-2019 HDX, and 2017-2019 EFX school buses equipped with Bendix Air Disc Brakes. The driver side rear brakes may drag.
- Risk
- The dragging brakes may lead to high temperatures at the wheel end, increasing the risk of smoke and fire, possibly resulting in the bus having to be evacuated, which can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will install a new caliper with an updated clearance adjustment mechanism, free of charge. The recall began August 9, 2019. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1‑800‑547‑0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-818.
Recall number 19V444000 · Recall details
Suspension: front: control arm
- What is wrong
- Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner HDX, C2, and EFX School Buses, equipped with Detroit Axle axles. The affected vehicles may have loose steering tie rod arm bolts.
- Risk
- Loose tie rod arm bolts may lead to separation of the tie rod arm, affecting vehicle steering, and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- DTNA has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the steering arm and tie rod arm bolts for to make sure that they are properly tightened, installing new fasteners as necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 9, 2019. Owners may contact Daimler Trucks at 1‑800‑547‑0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-802.
Recall number 18V914000 · Recall details
Service brakes, air: disc: caliper
- What is wrong
- Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Thomas Built school buses Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner HDX and Saf-T-Liner EFX school buses. The brake caliper mounting bolts may have been insufficiently tightened.
- Risk
- Loose brake caliper mounting bolts can reduce brake effectiveness, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- DTNA has notified owners, and dealers will check and tighten the brake caliper mounting bolts, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2018. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1‑800‑547‑0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-794.
Recall number 18V702000 · Recall details
Equipment adaptive/mobility
- What is wrong
- Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 and Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses, equipped with certain S-Series and K-Series Titanium Wheelchair Lifts, models K200, K201, K550, K551, S200, S2201, S550 and S551. The wheelchair lift positioning input cam may fail while the lift is in use, allowing the platform to travel higher than the vehicle's floor height.
- Risk
- If the wheelchair lift platform stops above the vehicle floor, the wheelchair user can tip inwards toward the vehicle when exiting the lift, increasing their risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the injection molded cam with an aluminum machined cam, free of charge. The recall began December 6, 2018. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1‑800‑547‑0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL785.
Recall number 18V560000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: caliper
- What is wrong
- Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner EFX and Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses equipped with air disc brakes. The brake caliper mounting bolts on these vehicles may be insufficiently tightened, allowing the bolts to loosen.
- Risk
- If the brake caliper mounting bolts come loose, braking performance may be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake caliper mounting bolts and tighten them as necessary, free of charge. DTNA issued owners an interim notification on July 25, 2018. The recall began September 4, 2018. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1‑800‑547‑0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-772.
Recall number 18V352000 · Recall details
See all 21 recalls for the 2019 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX
Technical service bulletins for the 2019 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX 80
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Warranty Information letter for Detroit Line or Line Seal, High Pressure Fuel Injector Standard Repair...
- Service Solution for HDX DEF Header Service Replacement Additional Parts
- Service Solution for Wiper Module TBB 61201552 replacement
- Extended Warranty Policy for certain Cummins B6.7 engines for TBB vehicle DEF headers for EPA and CARB...
- CX Advocate for CARB tightening the Readiness Criteria applied to On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) test...
- Service Solution for Detroit Successful Regen Reference for GHG17 DD Engines
- Revised Emissions Recall: Cummins DEF Sensor Shortage
- Important Campaign Information letter for FL974
- Emissions Recall: Cummins DEF Sensor Shortage
- Warranty Policy Letter for battery tags
See all 80 bulletins for the 2019 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX
What 2019 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Compare the 2019 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX
Other model years
Questions about the 2019 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX
Is the 2019 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX reliable?
Owners have filed 1 complaint about the 2019 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX, close to a typical Saf-T-Liner HDX model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2019 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX?
Electrical system, with 1 complaint. Next is transmission (1).
How many recalls does the 2019 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX have?
21 recalls, covering equipment, structure and seats.
Was there a recall on the 2019 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX electrical?
Yes, 2 recalls: 22V271000, 22V272000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2019 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history