2015 Thomas Built Buses MINOTOUR: complaints, problems and recalls

Reported: 2014-02-20 (February 20, 2014)

Daimler Trucks North America (Daimler) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Thomas Built Buses Minotour dual rear wheel non-school buses manufactured October 21, 2011, through January 16, 2014, and equipped with certain 3-passenger IMMI or S3C brand seats installed in the rear section of the bus. In the affected vehicles, the floor reinforcement channels that provide additional support for the seat mounting were omitted during manufacturing.

Consequence: Without the floor reinforcement channels, in a crash, the floor may flex and the seat occupants may not be adequately restrained, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupants.

Remedy: Daimler will notify owners, and dealers will install the missing floor reinforcement channels, free of charge. The recall began on April 17, 2014. Owners may contact Daimler at 1-800-385-4537. Daimler's number for this recall is FL-659.

Reported: 2014-09-23 (September 23, 2014)

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain model year 2015 Minotour school buses manufactured August 1, 2013, to June 4, 2014. In the affected vehicles, if the hazard and brake lights are used simultaneously, the circuit may be overloaded and cause the fuse to blow.

Consequence: If the fuse blows, the hazard lights and brake lights will cease to function, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: DTNA has notified owners, and dealers have replaced the fuses with fuses of a higher amperage, free of charge. The recall began in November 2014. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-745-8000. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-666.

Reported: 2014-11-28 (November 28, 2014)

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Thomas Built Buses Minotour non-school buses manufactured April 2, 2012, to October 3, 2014 and built on a GM or Ford Chassis with a gasoline engine. In the affected buses, the fastener that secures the fuel tank strap may be loose.

Consequence: An unsecured fuel tank strap could allow the fuel tank to contact the ground, increasing the risk of a fuel leak and fire.

Remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and properly secure the fuel tank strap, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 26, 2015. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-745-8000. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-675.

Reported: 2014-11-28 (November 28, 2014)

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Thomas Built Buses Minotour school buses manufactured April 2, 2012, to October 3, 2014, and built on a GM or Ford Chassis with a gasoline engine. In the affected buses, the fastener that secures the fuel tank strap may be loose.

Consequence: An unsecured fuel tank strap could allow the fuel tank to contact the ground, increasing the risk of a fuel leak and fire.

Remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and properly secure the fuel tank strap, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 26, 2015. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-745-8000. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-675.

Reported: 2015-09-04 (September 4, 2015)

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain model year 2006-2015 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX, Saf-T-Liner EF, Saf-T-Liner EFX, and Minotour DRW transit buses manufactured January 3, 2006, to August 1, 2014, and equipped with certain Ricon model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505, S5510 wheelchair lifts. The affected lifts are equipped with folding link arms that may have pivot holes that are too big, allowing the bearings to move out of position.

Consequence: If the bearings move out of position, the stowed platform may have excessive movement resulting in failure of the platform mounting. This failure could cause the wheel chair lift platform to fall out of the vehicle when the doors are opened, increasing the risk of injury for the lift operator.

Remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the link arms for damage or for displaced bearings. The platform will be inspected for cracks. Any damaged parts will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on November 2, 2015. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-745-8000. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-686.

Reported: 2015-09-04 (September 4, 2015)

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain model year 2006-2015 Thomas Built Buses FS-65, Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner EF, Saf-T-Liner EFX, Saf-T-Liner HDX, and Minotour DRW school buses manufactured January 3, 2006, to August 1, 2014, and equipped with certain Ricon model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505, S5510 wheelchair lifts. The affected lifts are equipped with folding link arms that may have pivot holes that are too big, allowing the bearings to move out of position.

Consequence: If the bearings move out of position, the stowed platform may have excessive movement resulting in failure of the platform mounting. This failure could cause the wheel chair lift platform to fall out of the vehicle when the doors are opened, increasing the risk of injury for the lift operator.

Remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the link arms for damage or for displaced bearings. The platform will be inspected for cracks. Any damaged parts will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began onNovember 2, 2015. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-745-8000. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-686.

Reported: 2016-02-23 (February 23, 2016)

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain model year 2012-2017 Thomas Built Buses Minotour school buses manufactured from October 26, 2010, through December 14, 2015 and built on a GM chassis. The affected school buses have a body control module that may fail resulting in intermittent or total loss of exterior lighting or windshield wiper function.

Consequence: Loss of exterior lighting or windshield wiper function can decrease visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will modify the wiring to the body control module, free of charge. The recall began on April 18, 2016. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's recall number for this campaign is FL-701.

Reported: 2016-08-31 (August 31, 2016)

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Thomas Built Buses Safe-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner HDX, Saf-T-Liner EFX, and Minotour DRW school buses manufactured July 15, 2014, to July 21, 2016, and equipped with certain model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505, and S5510 wheelchair lifts by Ricon. The affected lifts are equipped with folding link arms that may have pivot holes that are too big, allowing the bearings to move out of position.

Consequence: If the bearings move out of position, the stowed platform may have excessive movement resulting in failure of the platform mounting. This failure could cause the wheel chair lift platform to fall out of the vehicle when the doors are opened, increasing the risk of injury for the lift operator.

Remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and Ricon dealers will inspect the link arms for damage or for displaced bearings. The platform will be inspected for cracks. Any damaged parts will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on October 10, 2016. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712, or Ricon customer service at 1-800-322-2884 or by email at [email protected]. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-716.

Reported: 2018-01-30 (January 30, 2018)

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2002-2017 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner HDX, FS65, and Minotour school buses, equipped with Kidde Plastic-Handle or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or requiring excessive force to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury and also render the product inoperable. For a full list of the affected fire extinguisher models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17E062-5427.pdf

Consequence: In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: DTNA will notify owners instructing them to contact Kidde for a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 30, 2018. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712 or Kidde customer service at 1-855-262-3540 or online at www.kidde.com and click on "Product Safety Recall" for more information. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-759.

Reported: 2018-03-07 (March 7, 2018)

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2007-2018 Thomas Built Buses Minotour school buses built on GM chassis and equipped with wheelchair lifts. The wheelchair lift may be operated while the vehicle is in Neutral or Drive.

Consequence: If the wheelchair lift can be operated when the vehicle is not in Park, there is increased risk of injury to the lift user.

Remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the wheelchair lift, correcting the electrical connections as necessary, free of charge. DTNA issued owners an interim notification on April 26, 2018. The recall began November 15, 2018. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-761.

Reported: 2018-03-07 (March 7, 2018)

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2007-2018 Thomas Built Buses Minotour transit buses built on GM chassis and equipped with wheelchair lifts. The wheelchair lift may be operated while the vehicle is in Neutral or Drive.

Consequence: If the wheelchair lift can be operated when the vehicle is not in Park, there is increased risk of injury to the lift user.

Remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the wheelchair lift, correcting the electrical connections as necessary, free of charge. DTNA issued owners an interim notification on April 26, 2018. The recall began November 15, 2018. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-761.

Reported: 2018-03-26 (March 26, 2018)

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner HDX, Saf-T-Liner EFX, and Minotour school buses, equipped with certain Syntec-brand S3B, Non-Restraint, Wall Mounted Seats. The wall mounting bracket may crack, which may cause the seat to not remain secured in place in the event of a crash.

Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the seat does not remain secured to the wall, the occupant has an increased risk of an injury.

Remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional wall mounting bracket, free of charge. DTNA issued an interim notification to owners on May 9, 2018. The recall began May 10, 2018. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-763.

Reported: 2018-03-26 (March 26, 2018)

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner HDX, Saf-T-Liner EFX, and Minotour transit buses, equipped with certain Syntec-brand S3B, Non-Restraint, Wall Mounted Seats. The wall mounting bracket may crack, which may cause the seat to not remain secured in place in the event of a crash.

Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the seat does not remain secured to the wall, the occupant has an increased risk of an injury.

Remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional wall mounting bracket, free of charge. DTNA issued an interim notification to owners on May 10, 2018. The recall began May 10, 2018. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-763.

Reported: 2018-04-19 (April 19, 2018)

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner HDX, Saf-T-Liner EFX, and Minotour school buses equipped with S3B Restraint Wall Mounted Seats. The wall mounting bracket may crack, causing the seat to not remain secured in place in the event of a crash.

Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the seat does not remain secured to the wall, the occupant has an increased risk of an injury.

Remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional wall mounting bracket, free of charge. Daimler issued owners an interim notification on June 12, 2018. The recall began January 3, 2019. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-769.

Reported: 2018-04-19 (April 19, 2018)

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner EFX, Saf-T-Liner HDX, and Minotour transit buses, equipped with certain S3B Restraint Wall Mounted Seats. The wall mounting bracket may crack, causing the seat to not remain secured in place in the event of a crash.

Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the seat does not remain secured to the wall, the occupant has an increased risk of an injury.

Remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional wall mounting bracket, free of charge. Daimler issued an interim notification to owners on June 15, 20 18. The recall began January 3, 2019. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-769.

Reported: 2018-05-08 (May 8, 2018)

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2002-2018 Thomas Built Buses Minotour school buses built on a Ford chassis and equipped with an optional wheelchair lift. The wheelchair lift may be allowed to operate when the vehicle is in neutral or drive, due to missing relay in the interlock wiring harness.

Consequence: If the vehicle can be moved while the wheelchair lift is being used, there is an increased the risk of injury.

Remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the wheelchair lift wiring, correcting it as necessary, free of charge. Daimler issued an interim notification to owners on June 19, 2018. The recall began November 15, 2019. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-770.

Reported: 2018-10-05 (October 5, 2018)

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Thomas Built Buses Minotour school buses with 36" or 39" wide seats. The rear emergency exit door may not open wide enough to meet the unobstructed emergency egress area requirements. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 217, "Bus Emergency Exits and Window Retention and Release."

Consequence: If the emergency exit door does not open wide enough, it may limit the ability to exit the bus, increasing the risk of injury in the event of an emergency.

Remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will modify the rear door slide system, increasing the angle that the door can open, free of charge. DTNA issued owners an interim notification on November 8, 2018. The recall began June 28, 2019. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-797.

Reported: 2019-03-05 (March 5, 2019)

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2003-2019 Thomas Built Buses Minotour school buses built on a Ford chassis equipped with a specific wheelchair lift option. The wheelchair lift can be operated without the parking brake being engaged after they key is turned off.

Consequence: When the vehicle is in neutral with the ignition and the parking brake off, the vehicle may move. Using the wheelchair lift during this time can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: DTNA has notified owners, and dealers will modify the wheelchair lift wiring harness, free of charge. DTNA issued owners an interim notification on April 10, 2019. The recall began December 20, 2019. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-811.

Reported: 2019-10-04 (October 4, 2019)

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2014-2020 Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner EFX, Minotour, Saf-T-Liner C2, and Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses equipped with SynTec S3B or S3C seats. The seats may have been manufactured with styrene blocks that may not provide sufficient impact absorption in certain specific areas around the steel seat frame of the back support. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 222, "School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection."

Consequence: The lack of impact absorption increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will install additional impact material between the re-bond back and the vinyl back cover to increase the amount of absorption, free of charge. DTNA issued owners an interim notification on November 29, 2019. The recall began June 22, 2020. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-832.

Reported: 2020-11-09 (November 9, 2020)

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2008-2021 Thomas Built Buses Minotour school buses. The driver may be able to release the park brake and shift the transmission out of Park and into a drive gear while the wheelchair lift is deployed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 403, "Platform Lift Systems."

Consequence: If the vehicle is put into drive while the wheelchair lift is deployed, the vehicle may move forward or backward, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will have the wheelchair lift wiring modified as needed, free of charge. DTNA issued owners an interim notification on January 6, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 19, 2021. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-868.

Reported: 2021-09-23 (September 23, 2021)

Daimler Trucks North America, LLC. (DTNA) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Thomas Built Minotour school buses. The under-body shut-off solenoid connector that connects to the CNG fuel tank may corrode, which could result in an electrical short.

Consequence: A short at the connector may cause a flame or overheating, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the CNG fuel shut-off solenoid, free of charge. Owner notification letters are were mailed February 03, 2022. Owners may contact DTNA's customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-903.