Thomas Built Buses

22 model lines · 264 recall campaigns · 48 complaints · 25 investigations · reports filed by Daimler Trucks North America, LLC; DAIMLER TRUCKS NORTH AMERICA

Thomas Built Buses has 22 model lines on NHTSA's register (model years 1994–2027), with 264 recall campaigns and 48 consumer complaints.

Campaigns were most numerous in 2018 (23). The component complaints name most often is structure (140.4 per 1,000 component mentions). The SAF-T-Liner C2 line has the most complaints, 19 over 33 model years.

Comparisons here are between Thomas Built Buses model lines; complaint counts across makes depend on fleet size and reporting rates and are not compared.

Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.

Model lines

Ordered by total complaints. "Per model year" divides complaints by the number of model years on the register, a comparison within Thomas Built Buses only.

Model line	Model years	Campaigns	Complaints	Per model year	Most-reported component
SAF-T-Liner C2	33	134	19	0.6	Unknown or Other
C2	3	9	8	2.7	Visibility
SAF-T-Liner HDX	25	81	4	0.2	Service Brakes, Air
FS-65	24	13	4	0.2	Steering
MVP EF	10	16	4	0.4	Electrical System
HDX	14	26	2	0.1	Electrical System
SAF-T-Liner ER	8	7	2	0.3	Structure
EF	7	3	2	0.3	Structure
Minotour	24	61	1	0.0	Structure
SAF-T-Liner EFX	21	42	1	0.0	Seats
Transit Liner ER	2	3	1	0.5	Steering
SAF-T-Liner EF	10	8	0	0.0
SAF-T-Liner MVP-EF	15	6	0	0.0
SAF-T-Liner C2 Jouley	7	15	0	0.0
SAF-T-Liner FS65	15	4	0	0.0
SAF-T-Liner MVP-ER	18	4	0	0.0
HDX EF	9	2	0	0.0
SAF-T-Liner HDX2	2	8	0	0.0
Minotour SRW	7	3	0	0.0
TL-960	4	3	0	0.0
Vista	3	3	0	0.0
FS65	2	2	0	0.0

Campaigns by year

Distinct NHTSA campaigns naming Thomas Built Buses vehicles, by year the report was received.

Complaints by year

Complaints about Thomas Built Buses vehicles by year received.

Components most reported

Structure140.4

Unknown or Other105.3

Steering105.3

Seats105.3

Parking Brake87.7

Electrical System87.7

Service Brakes, Air70.2

Visibility52.6

Wheels52.6

Exterior Lighting35.1

Per 1,000 component mentions across all Thomas Built Buses complaints.

Questions and answers

How many recalls has Thomas Built Buses had?

264 NHTSA recall campaigns name Thomas Built Buses vehicles (model years 1994–2027). Units potentially affected across those campaigns total about 1,136,958, a figure that includes other makes where a campaign is shared (Takata air bag inflators, for example). Campaigns naming several model lines count once.

Which Thomas Built Buses model line has the most complaints?

SAF-T-Liner C2: 19 complaints over 33 model years (0.6 per model year). Larger-selling lines draw more complaints; the per-model-year column controls for the number of years, not for sales.

What components are reported most for Thomas Built Buses?

structure (140.4 per 1,000 mentions), unknown or other (105.3 per 1,000 mentions), steering (105.3 per 1,000 mentions). Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.

Where does this data come from?

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation flat files, public domain, dated 24 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints).

Provenance

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation flat files, public domain, dated 24 Sep 2026 and 15 May 2019. Make names are as NHTSA records them. Comparisons are within this make; see the methodology for why makes are not ranked against each other.