- Vehicles
- 27
- Built between
- Sep 1982 – Feb 1983
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 12 February 1985
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between September 1982 and February 1983. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1982-1983 Thomas ThomasBuilt September 1982 to February 1983
What the defect is
The rack and gear type latch assembly of the emergency doors can be overstressed by misuse of the inside door handle, making the gears subject to failure. Consequence of defect: it is possible for these gears to fail when the door is closed, making it impossible to open the emergency door. This could result in passengers being trapped in case of emergency.
What gets fixed
INSTALL COMPLETE NEW LATCH ASSEMBLIES WITH METAL GEARS TO REPLACE THE NYLON MATERIAL.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtSeptember 1982 to February 1983
- Recall reported to NHTSA19 February 1985
- Owners notified12 February 1985
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 19 February 1985.
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
- Recalling manufacturer
- THOMAS BUILT BUSES, INC.
- 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
Vehicle description: school bus with GVWR greater than 10,000 pounds.system: emergency door latch assembly.
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.