- Vehicles
- 942
- Built between
- Nov 1981 – Jun 1986
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 12 June 1986
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between November 1981 and June 1986. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1982-1986 Thomas SAF-T-LinerBuilt November 1981 to June 1986
- 1982-1986 Thomas Transit LinerBuilt November 1981 to June 1986
What the defect is
Two throttle return spring defects are involved in this recall. (1) buses equipped with caterpillar engines may have a throttle return spring that breaks and prevents the throttle from returning to idle position when the driver's foot is removed from the accelerator control; (2) buses equipped with cummins VT-225 engines may have the throttle return spring connected to the throttle slave cylinder instead of the fuel injection pump lever. If failure occurs in the acceleration control system, the engine may accelerate to its maximum governed rpm. Consequence of defect: in either case, throttle control will be lost which may result in an accident.
What gets fixed
A REPAIR KIT CONSISTING OF NEW SPRING, MOUNTING BRACKET AND PROPER REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE SHIPPED TO EACH OWNER AT NO CHARGE AND THE OWNER MAY MAKE HIS OWN REPAIRS, OR HAVE A THOMAS DISTRIBUTOR OR A REPUTABLE LOCAL SHOP MAKE THE REPAIRS.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtNovember 1981 to June 1986
- Recall reported to NHTSA16 June 1986
- Owners notified12 June 1986
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 16 June 1986.
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
System: throttle lever return spring. Vehicle description: transit and school buses with a GVWR greater than 10,000 pounds.
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.