- Vehicles
- 24,082
- Built between
- Jul 1991 – Feb 1996
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 14 April 1997
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between July 1991 and February 1996. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1991-1996 Thomas ConventionalBuilt July 1991 to February 1996
What the defect is
Vehicle description: school buses equipped with outward opening service doors. The possibility exists for an item worn by a child, such as a long drawstring, sash, or backpack/bookbag accessory, can become caught in a small opening at the floor level of the forward door post.
What could happen
If an item worn by a child were to catch in the opening, and the driver were to close the door and put the vehicle in motion, it could result in injury or death to the child.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FORWARD DOOR POST TO VERIFY THAT THE OPENING IS COMPLETELY ELIMINATED, AND IF NECESSARY, WILL INSTALL SEALANT IN ANY REMAINING PORTION OF THE OPENING.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJuly 1991 to February 1996
- Recall reported to NHTSA5 March 1997
- Owners notified14 April 1997
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 5 March 1997.
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
- ODI
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
Owner notification:owner notification will begin april 14, 1997.NOTES: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 1-910-889-4871.ALSO contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-800-424-9393.
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.