The worst 1996 Thomas Conventional problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
Recalls 11
Unknown or other
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: certain school buses equipped with a storage compartment overhead to the left of the driver fail to meet fmvss no. 222, "school bus passenger seating and crash protection."
- Risk
- Contact with this storage compartment does not meet the impact zone requirements of the standard.
- Remedy
- Dealers will add padding to the sides of the storage compartment. Owner notification began february 8, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact thomas built at 1‑336‑889‑4871.
Recall number 00V360000 · Recall details
Seats
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: certain school buses and transit buses equipped with national seating's series 93b-sb driver seat. A bracket attaching the gas spring shock to the height adjuster of the seat can deform and break. This bracket is located at the top of the height adjuster.
- Risk
- If the bracket is not replaced after deforming, and is allowed to break, its breaking will result in a sudden drop of the driver's seat, increasing the risk of loss of control of the vehicle and a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the seat base and add reinforcement to the seat assembly
Recall number 00V362000 · Recall details
Seats
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: school buses. Restraining barriers and reinforcement plates may be installed incorrectly. Nuts used to secure the plate the floor may be missing or the reinforcement plate may be mounted in a non-standard location. This does not meet the requirements of fmvss no. 222, "school bus passenger seating and crash protection."
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained increasing the risk of personal injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the barriers and plates, install any nuts that are missing, and mount the reinforcement plate correctly.
Recall number 99V173000 · Recall details
Seats
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: transit and school buses equipped with air suspension driver seat. Tether belts used to anchor the seat belt assembly to the floor were not installed on buses equipped with an air ride driver seat. This does not meet the requirements of fmvss no. 210, "seat belt assembly anchorages."
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of personal injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install the tether belt assembly.
Recall number 99V175000 · Recall details
Visibility: rearview mirrors/devices: exterior
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: school buses built on a navistar chassis. The cross view mirrors do not comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 111, "rearview mirrors." the entire top surface of cylinder h is not visible as required.
- Risk
- A driver may not be able to see certain portions of the bus increasing the risk of a crash or personal injury to persons near the bus.
- Remedy
- Owners will be provided with a repair kit and detailed instructions. If an owner so desires, thomas built dealers can perform the repair for them.
Recall number 98V309000 · Recall details
Seats
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: school and transit buses equipped with national seating series 93b-sb driver seat. A bracket attaching to the height adjusting shock absorber on the driver's seat can deform and break.
- Risk
- This condition can result in a sudden drop of the driver's seat, increasing the risk of loss of control of the vehicle and a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will add a reinforcement to the bracket, or if the bracket is deformed and/or broken, the entire seat base will be replaced.
Recall number 98V229000 · Recall details
Seats
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: school buses. The flip seats installed on these buses do not meet the rearward push requirements of fmvss no. 222, "school bus passenger seating and crash protection."
- Risk
- In the event of a vehicle crash, the seat occupant may not be properly protected increasing the risk of personal injury.
- Remedy
- Owners will be provided with repair parts and a detailed repair procedure. If an owner so desires, thomas built will perform the repair for them.
Recall number 97V192000 · Recall details
Structure: body
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: school buses equipped with outward opening service doors. The possibility exists for an item worn by a child, such as a long drawstring, sash, or backpack/bookbag accessory, can become caught in a small opening at the floor level of the forward door post.
- Risk
- If an item worn by a child were to catch in the opening, and the driver were to close the door and put the vehicle in motion, it could result in injury or death to the child.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the forward door post to verify that the opening is completely eliminated, and if necessary, will install sealant in any remaining portion of the opening.
Recall number 97V031000 · Recall details
Seats
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: transit buses equipped with isringhausen seats in the driver position. Two welds located on the back rest adjustment side of the seat frame did not meet the manufacturer's specifications.
- Risk
- If these welds were not to specification, back rest loads could cause the welds to fail. The back rest would disengage from the seat frame allowing loss of support to the driver's torso and possibly causing loss of control of the vehicle.
- Remedy
- Isringhausen is conducting the owner notification and remedy campaign for this recall. Dealers will inspect these seats and replace the seat frame assembly.
Recall number 96V178008 · Recall details
Unknown or other
- What is wrong
- The fittings used to secure the school bus seats or wheel chair tie-downs to the track used in the track seating system do not seat properly resulting in noncompliance with fmvss no. 222, "school bus passenger seating and crash protection."
- Risk
- In the event of a collision, the occupant may not be properly restrained increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the fittings and replace the improperly machined track if necessary.
Recall number 96V189000 · Recall details
Structure: body
- What is wrong
- An item worn by a child, such as a long drawstring, sash, or backpack/bookbag accessory, can become caught in the area between the service door and the door control rod attaching bracket.
- Risk
- If an item worn by a child were to catch on this area, and the driver were to close the door and put the vehicle in motion, this can result in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- A molded cover will be installed between the manually operated outward opening entrance door and the door control rod attaching bracket which will eliminate the opening that could allow an item of a child's clothing to become snagged.
Recall number 96V139000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 1996 Thomas Conventional 2
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
Compare the 1996 Thomas Conventional
Other model years
Questions about the 1996 Thomas Conventional
Is the 1996 Thomas Conventional reliable?
Owners have filed 0 complaints about the 1996 Thomas Conventional.
What is the most common problem with the 1996 Thomas Conventional?
There are not enough complaints to tell.
How many recalls does the 1996 Thomas Conventional have?
11 recalls, covering unknown or other, seats and visibility.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 1996 Thomas Conventional?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history