- Vehicles
- 2,391
- Built between
- Dec 1995 – Sep 1997
- Models
- 4
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 8 March 1999
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between December 1995 and September 1997. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1995-1997 Thomas ConventionalBuilt December 1995 to September 1997
- 1995-1997 Thomas MVPBuilt December 1995 to September 1997
- 1995-1997 Thomas SAF-T-LinerBuilt December 1995 to September 1997
- 1995-1997 Thomas VistaBuilt December 1995 to September 1997
What the defect is
Vehicle description: school buses. The flip seats installed on these buses do not meet the rearward push requirements of FMVSS no. 222, "school bus passenger seating and crash protection."
What could happen
In the event of a vehicle crash, the seat occupant may not be properly protected increasing the risk of personal injury.
What gets fixed
OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH REPAIR PARTS AND A DETAILED REPAIR PROCEDURE. IF AN OWNER SO DESIRES, THOMAS BUILT WILL PERFORM THE REPAIR FOR THEM.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtDecember 1995 to September 1997
- Recall reported to NHTSA1 November 1997
- Owners notified8 March 1999
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 1 November 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.
- Safety standard
- FMVSS 222
- 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
Owner notification began march 8, 1999.A preliminary owner notification letter was mailed june 12, 1998.OWNERS who do not receive the free repair parts and detailed repair procedure 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.