- Vehicles
- 561
- Built between
- Jan 1989 – Oct 1989
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 4 May 1990
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between January 1989 and October 1989. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1989 Thomas BUSBuilt January 1989 to October 1989
- 1989 Thomas School BUSBuilt January 1989 to October 1989
What the defect is
The adjustable seat back structure and tilt mechanism may not withstand rearward force required by FMVSS 207.
What could happen
Buses are not in compliance with FMVSS 207; seatbackcould fail in an accident increasing potential for injury to occupant.
What gets fixed
INSTALL NEW SEAT BACK STRUCTURE AND TILT MECHANISM ASSEMBLY THAT COMPLIES WITH STANDARD.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJanuary 1989 to October 1989
- Recall reported to NHTSA6 November 1989
- Owners notified4 May 1990
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 6 November 1989.
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.
- Safety standard
- FMVSS 207
- 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: seat back / FMVSS 207VEHICLE description: buses and school buses.
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.