2003 Thomas HDX problems

What is wrong

Certain my 2000 through 2003 thomas built hdx and mvp-er school buses manufactured between april 23, 2000, and november 14, 2003. The service air brake pedal, for both non-adjustable and adjustable brake pedals, may contact the front structure on the bus, limiting the maximum brake force available.

Risk

Insufficient air brake pressure may cause extended stopping distances without prior warning, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.

Remedy

Thomas built will notify owners and repair the affected buses free of charge. The recall began on september 14, 2007. Owners can contact thomas built at 336‑889‑4871 or contact freightliner at 800‑547‑0712.

Recall number 07V137000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Certain 2002-2005 my thomas built minotour, conventional, mvp-er, er, hdx, and mvp-ef model school buses manufactured between january 8, 2002, and march 8, 2005, equipped with specialty mfg "5" series stop arms originally sold in or currently registered in states other than the following states: alaska, colorado, connecticut, delaware, idaho, illinois, indiana, iowa, kansas, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, montana, nebraska, nevada, new hampshire, new jersey, new mexico, new york, north dakota, ohio, oregon, pennsylvania, rhode island, south dakota, tennessee, utah, vermont, virginia, washington, west virginia, wisconsin, wyoming, and the district of columbia. In extremely cold weather, the microswitches used internally to position the stop arm sign in the open and closed positions may malfunction, causing the sign to open or close in an improper position, or to not open at all.

Risk

Should the stop arm not perform properly, a child or pedestrian may be endangered by passing vehicles should the motorist not stop at the correct location.

Remedy

For those buses operated in or near any of the states listed above, thomas built is encouraging the bus owners to obtain the replacement switch. For those buses operated in the warmer states, dealers will replace the switch upon owner request. For those customers who request the remedy, thomas built will replace the original switch with a switch pack that is not sensitive to extreme cold weather and will inspect to ensure the microswitch heater wiring is properly connected. The recall began on september 14, 2005. Owners may contact thomas built's customer support office at 336‑889‑4871.

Recall number 05V347000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Certain 2002-2005 my thomas built minotour, conventional, mvp-er, er, hdx, and mvp-ef model school buses manufactured between january 8, 2002, and march 8, 2005, equipped with specialty mfg "5" series stop arms originally sold in or currently registered in the following states: alaska, colorado, connecticut, delaware, idaho, illinois, indiana, iowa, kansas, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, montana, nebraska, nevada, new hampshire, new jersey, new mexico, new york, north dakota, ohio, oregon, pennsylvania, rhode island, south dakota, tennessee, utah, vermont, virginia, washington, west virginia, wisconsin, wyoming, and the district of columbia. In extremely cold weather, the microswitches used internally to position the stop arm sign in the open and closed positions may malfunction, causing the sign to open or close in an improper position, or to not open at all.

Risk

Should the stop arm not perform properly, a child or pedestrian may be endangered by passing vehicles should the motorist not stop at the correct location.

Remedy

Thomas built will notify its owners and replace the original switch with a switch pack that is not sensitive to extreme cold weather and will inspect to ensure the microswitch heater wiring is properly connected free of charge. The recall began on september 14, 2005. Owners may contact thomas built's customer support office at 336‑889‑4871.

Recall number 05V340000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Certain 2001-2004 my thomas built mvp-ef, er transit, mvp-er, hd, and hdx school buses manufactured between september 24, 2000, and march 4, 2004. The tie rod assembly can fracture and fail, possibly resulting in complete separation.

Risk

Tie rod failure can possibly result in complete wheel separation and a vehicle crash could occur.

Remedy

Thomas built will notify its customers and will replace the tie rod assembly free of charge. The recall began september 6, 2005. Owners may contact thomas built at (we do not yet have a telephone number).

Recall number 05V137000 · Recall details

The office of defects investigation opened this preliminary evaluationafterbecoming aware that fleets were having handle failures on the rear emergency door exit.the failure resulted in the door handle separating from thedoor latch mechanism.when the handle fails, the rear emergency exit door can not be opened from outside the bus.the failure results from corrosion of the exterior door handle around the securing roll pin and square drive latch mechanism, causing the protective finish to chip and flake.continued corrosion weakens the handle and eventually the handle may break while trying to open the exit door.odi was concerned that during an emergency, a person outside of the bus would break the door handle while trying to open the emergency exit door,potentially delaying evacuation of the bus.under the safety recall, the aluminum handles will be replaced with a more robust handle.the recall action resolves the issues raised by this investigation. Accordingly, this investigation is closed.

PE07054

The office of defects investigation (odi) opened this investigation after becoming aware of two school bus fires that started in the side mounted electrical fuse panel on a pair of thomas built school buses.thefleet owner had reported the bus interiors filled with smoke, certain electrical devices became inoperative, and the buses stalled. The two buses involved in the fire incidents have consecutive VIN numbers and the fires were similar, but not identical to a previous recall (06v‑136) conducted by thomas built.these buses were not included in the prior recall, which involved a defective power distribution module (pdm).after further technical evaluation, freightliner decided they would conduct a safety recall to correct deficiencies in theprevious recall and also expand the population to capture all affected buses.the corrective action freightliner plans to take will be forwarded to odi when available. Accordingly, this investigation is closed.

PE07029

Odi was contacted by the new york dot who reportedseveral buses failed braking tests when being tested during an annual inspection. The subject school buses are optioned with an adjustable foot pedal positioning device that allows the driver to raise and lower the brake pedal height to suit his/her seating position.when the lowest pedal position is selected (by a button on the dashboard), nydot reported that the brake pedal bottomed out on the floor, thus preventing a full brake pedal application.this resulted in a reduction of brake torque at the wheel ends.freightliner will conduct a safety recall to correct this problem.the remedy calls for a longer pedal push rod being installed in- place of the original push rod. They also increased the population to include the mvp-er model buses.this resolves the issue raised by this investigation. Accordingly, this investigation is closed.

PE07008