The worst 1999 Thomas MVP Ef 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 10
Structure: body: door: hinge and attachments
- What is wrong
- Daimler trucks is recalling 243,435 my 1995-2008 thomas built school buses manufactured between january 1994, and march 10, 2008. (additional buses have been added to this recall campaign. Please see supplemental report no. 4) the emergency exit door handle begins corroding around the securing roll pin and square drive mechanism causing the protective finish to chip and flake. Continued corrosion and pitting weakens the handle. Handles weakened by corrosion may break while trying to open the door from the exterior.
- Risk
- In the event of an emergency, a person on the outside of the bus may break the door handle trying to open the emergency exit potentially delaying evacuation and increasing the risk of personal injury to the vehicle's occupants.
- Remedy
- Daimler trucks will notify owners and will replace the handles with a more robust handle free of charge. Repairs will be performed by thomas built buses dealerships. The recall began on august 18, 2008, and notification for the revised population is expected to begin on or about april 29, 2009. Owners may contact thomas built at 336‑889‑4871.
Recall number 08V087000 · Recall details
Seat belts
- What is wrong
- Certain my 1994 through 2002 thomas built minotour, fs-65, mvp-ef, er, and hdx-ef school buses manufactured between january 23, 1994, and april 15, 2002. The seat belt may chafe on the edge of a metal bracket and wear prematurely.
- Risk
- In the event of a vehicle crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained, possibly resulting in personal injury.
- Remedy
- Thomas built will notify owners and replace any chafed seat belts and replace or modify the retainer strip to prevent any further chafing. The recall began on february 8, 2008. Owners may contact thomas built at 336‑889‑4871 or contact freightliner at 800‑547‑0712.
Recall number 07V142000 · Recall details
Fuel system, diesel
- What is wrong
- Certain 1998-2003 my freightliner fs-65 school bus chassis and mb-45, mb-55, and xb shuttle bus chassis, and thomas built bus: mvp-er and mvp-ef school bus and non-school bus models equipped with cummins isb diesel engines and equipped with federal-mogal 12 and 24 volt fuel lift pumps. The fuel pump could fail to transfer fuel appropriately creating an engine stall condition.
- Risk
- Should the engine stall while the vehicle is in use, a possible vehicle crash could occur.
- Remedy
- Cummins will notify the customers of freightliner and thomas built and replace the fuel lift pump free of charge. Owners may contact cummins at 1-800-diesels.
Recall number 05V205000 · Recall details
Electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator
- What is wrong
- On certain thomas school buses, the alternator cable can pinch between the air conditioning compressor and engine block.
- Risk
- This can result in damage to wire insulation and potentially cause a short circuit.
- Remedy
- Dealers will re-route the cable. Owner notification began july 28, 2003. 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 freightliner/thomas built at
Recall number 03V205000 · Recall details
Wheels: lugs/nuts/bolts/studs
- What is wrong
- On certain school and transit buses, the wheel lug nut may not tighten completely.
- Risk
- The wheel could loosen increasing the risk of loss of control of the vehicle.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install new wheel studs. Owner notification began february 28, 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 336‑889‑4871.
Recall number 02V221000 · Recall details
Structure: body
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: certain school buses fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 217, "bus emergency exits and window retention and release." a third roof hatch must be added to meet the standard requirements. Only vehicles located in the state of washington are involved.
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, the bus occupant may not be able to exit the bus quickly.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a third roof hatch. Owner notification began may 1, 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 336‑889‑4871.
Recall number 01V378000 · Recall details
Steering: linkages: tie rod assembly
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: trucks, school bus and motor home chassis, and transit buses equipped with tie rod assemblies manufactured by trw. The suspect tie rods contain 24-dl model ball sockets. Certain of the tie rod ball-socket bearings have a below-specification case depth and/or hardness, which can lead to premature wear of the socket.
- Risk
- If this condition occurs, the driver can lose partial control of the right front wheel, possibly resulting in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the defective ball sockets and/or drag links. Owner notification began may 22, 2001. 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 freightliner at 1‑800‑547‑0712 or trw customer service at 1‑866‑280‑3287.
Recall number 01V044002 · 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
Service brakes, air: antilock
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks and school bus chassis built with bendix air ABS with an ec-17 1030r electronic control unit (ecu), there have been reports of unwanted ABS activation at low speeds caused by 1) chafed ABS wheel speed sensor wires on rotating parts or 2) a damaged component at the wheel end that generates a certain type of erratic sensor signal.
- Risk
- This condition could cause the ABS ecu to exhaust the air at the air brake modulators for one or more of the wheels. This could result in extended braking distances and a possible crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the ABS ecu.
Recall number 00V232002 · Recall details
Service brakes, air: antilock
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: school bus chassis and emergency vehicles built with bendix air ABS with an ec-17 1030r electronic control unit (ecu), there have been reports of unwanted ABS activation at low speeds caused by 1) chafed ABS wheel speed sensor wires on rotating parts or 2) a damaged component at the wheel end that generates a certain type of erratic sensor signal.
- Risk
- This condition could cause the ABS ecu to exhaust the air at the air brake modulators for one or more of the wheels. This could result in extended braking distances and a possible crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the ABS ecu.
Recall number 00V232011 · Recall details
See all 10 recalls for the 1999 Thomas MVP Ef
Defect investigations
School bus lighting failures
See attached four page technical report for details.
EA04014
Frame cracks-front shock mount
There is no summary currently available
SQ99008
Compare the 1999 Thomas MVP Ef
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Questions about the 1999 Thomas MVP Ef
Is the 1999 Thomas MVP Ef reliable?
Owners have filed 0 complaints about the 1999 Thomas MVP Ef.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Thomas MVP Ef?
There are not enough complaints to tell.
How many recalls does the 1999 Thomas MVP Ef have?
10 recalls, covering structure, seat belts and fuel system, diesel.
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