2005 Thomas FS-65: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
2 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
37,591 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2005 model year. Data updated: . 1 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Most common problems
Exterior Lighting is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 2 complaints (50.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting | 1 |
| Exterior Lighting:Turn Signal:Switch | 1 |
Exterior Lighting: 1; Exterior Lighting:Turn Signal:Switch: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 1 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 1 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2008 | 1 |
2006: 1; 2008: 1
Pattern summary
Exterior Lighting leads the component reports. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10149848 · 2006-02-09 (February 9, 2006)
I WRITING IN RESPONSE TO A SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED BY FREIGHTLINER CUSTOM CHASSIS, SB 54-26. THIS SERVICE BULLETIN COVERS AN ISSUE WITH THE TURN SIGNAL CANCELLATION RING ON A 2005 MODEL THOMAS SCHOOL BUS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS INCORRECTLY INSTALLED THE PART WHICH CANCELS THE TURN SIGNAL AFTER A TURN IS COMPLETED. DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS PART WAS INCORRECTLY INSTALLED, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE AT TIMES TO SIGNAL WHEN MAKING A TURN, AS IS INDICATED IN THEIR SERVICE BULLETIN. I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET ANY INFORMATION ON THIS DEFECT UNTIL MY 19 SCHOOL BUSES …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10149848 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10226620 · 2008-05-05 (May 5, 2008)
LED LIGHT STARTED SMOKING AND BURNED UP EMITTING SMOKE INSIDE THE BUS. THIS WAS THE SECOND INCIDENT WITH THIS TYPE OF LIGHT. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 37,591 miles reported. Look up ODI 10226620 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
2 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
05V426000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Reported: 2005-09-20 (September 20, 2005)
CERTAIN FREIGHTLINER CUSTOM CHASSIS FS-65 SCHOOL BUS CHASSIS AND FB-65 SHUTTLE BUS CHASSIS EQUIPPED WITH CATERPILLAR C7 ENGINES AND REVISED COOLING PACKAGES AND MANUFACTURED BETWEEN JANUARY 24, 2004, AND JUNE 15, 2005. THE FRONT HYDRAULIC LINE MAY RUB THROUGH ON A RADIATOR TUBE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID TO THE FRONT BRAKES.
Consequence: THE DEFECT MAY CAUSE THE LOSS OF FRONT BRAKES, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES AND POSSIBLY A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: FREIGHTLINER AND THOMAS BUILT WILL NOTIFY ITS CUSTOMERS AND WILL INSPECT AND SECURE THE BRAKE LINE TO PROVIDE MORE CLEARANCE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 20, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FREIGHTLINER AT 1-800-547-0712.
NHTSA campaign record ↗05V467000 · Suspension:Rear:Axle:Spindle
Reported: 2005-10-05 (October 5, 2005)
CERTAIN 2005 THOMAS BUILT FS-65 AND C-2 SCHOOL BUSES AND 2005 FREIGHTLINER ARGOSY, COLUMBIA, CENTURY ST, AND M2 BUSINESS CLASS TRUCKS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN JUNE 4 AND JULY 8, 2005. THE SPINDLES IN THE REAR AXLE HOUSING WERE OVERHEATED DURING THE HEAT TREATMENT PROCESS. INCORRECTLY HEAT TREATED SPINDLES COULD RESULT IN A FRACTURE OF THE SPINDLE.
Consequence: INCORRECTLY HEAT TREATED SPINDLES COULD FRACTURE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
Remedy: FREIGHTLINER WILL NOTIFY ITS CUSTOMERS AND INSPECT FOR THE HEAT TREAT DATE CODE ON THE END OF THE REAR SPINDLES AND REPLACE THE AXLE HOUSING IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON JANUARY 23, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FREIGHTLINER
NHTSA campaign record ↗Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
2 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-09-30.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 2004 | 2005 |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 1100.0%ODI 10215554 · 41,867 miAFTER START-UP WHEN VEHICLE WAS IDLING FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES STARTED SMOKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE DASH PANEL. IT WAS APPROXIMATELY MINUTES 10 LATER WHEN THE FIRE WAS FIRST NOTICED; TIME LINE IS THE BEST WE CAN DETERMINE FROM VIDEO FOOTAGE. FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED 10 MINUTES LATE AND THE BUS WAS CONSUMED BY FLAMES. THE BUS WAS DESTROYED BEYOND REPAIR. *TR | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Exterior Lighting | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 10226620 · 37,591 miLED LIGHT STARTED SMOKING AND BURNED UP EMITTING SMOKE INSIDE THE BUS. THIS WAS THE SECOND INCIDENT WITH THIS TYPE OF LIGHT. *TR |
| Exterior Lighting:Turn Signal:Switch | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 10149848I WRITING IN RESPONSE TO A SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED BY FREIGHTLINER CUSTOM CHASSIS, SB 54-26. THIS SERVICE BULLETIN COVERS AN ISSUE WITH THE TURN SIGNAL CANCELLATION RING ON A 2005 MODEL THOMAS SCHOOL BUS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS INCORRECTLY INSTALLED THE PART WHICH CANCELS THE TURN SIGNAL AFTER A TURN IS COMPLETED. DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS PART WAS INCORRECTLY INSTALLED, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE AT TIMES TO SIGNAL WHEN MAKING A TURN, AS IS INDICATED IN THEIR SERVICE BULLETIN. I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET ANY INFORMATION ON THIS DEFECT UNTIL MY 19 SCHOOL BUSES … |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting | Too few reports for a range | 37,591 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10226620 · 37,591 miLED LIGHT STARTED SMOKING AND BURNED UP EMITTING SMOKE INSIDE THE BUS. THIS WAS THE SECOND INCIDENT WITH THIS TYPE OF LIGHT. *TR |
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
2004: 0 complaints · 2005: 0 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Exterior Lighting | Exterior Lighting:Turn Signal:Switch |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting | — | 0 |
| Exterior Lighting:Turn Signal:Switch | 0 | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.