Thomas Electrical System: Alternator/Generator/Regulator

Thomas is recalling about 461 vehicles over a problem with the electrical system. This can result in damage to wire insulation and potentially cause a short circuit.

Campaign
03V205000
Manufacturer
FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION
Reported
2 June 2003
Vehicles
461
Built between
Jun 1998 – Apr 2003
Models
2
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
28 July 2003
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between June 1998 and April 2003. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 1998-2002 Thomas MVP EFBuilt June 1998 to April 2003
  • 2003 Thomas Built Buses MVP EFBuilt June 1998 to April 2003

What the defect is

On certain thomas school buses, the alternator cable can pinch between the air conditioning compressor and engine block.

What could happen

This can result in damage to wire insulation and potentially cause a short circuit.

What gets fixed

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

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtJune 1998 to April 2003
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA2 June 2003
  3. Owners notified28 July 2003

Your rights

A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.

That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 2 June 2003.

To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.

Official source

Manufacturer's recall number
FL-415
Recalling manufacturer
FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION
Recall initiated by
MFR

Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Additional notes

Freightliner/thomas built recall no. FL-415.CUSTOMERS can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Check your own vehicle

This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.

A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.

Same component

Same brand