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2001 Thomas MVP EF
10 recall campaigns and 0 complaints are on NHTSA's register for the 2001 Thomas MVP EF; the recalls concern structure, electrical system and seat belts.
No consumer complaints for this model year are in the NHTSA file.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation has opened 3 investigations naming this model year.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 29 Sep 2026.
Recalls by model year:
Recall campaigns
Defect, as filed: Daimler trucks is recalling 243,435 my 1995-2008 thomas built school buses manufactured between january 1994, and march 10, 2008. (additional buses have been added to this recall campaign. Please see supplemental report no. 4) the emergency exit door handle begins corroding around the securing roll pin and square drive mechanism causing the protective finish to chip and flake. Continued corrosion and pitting weakens the handle. Handles weakened by corrosion may break while trying to open the door from the exterior.
Consequence: In the event of an emergency, a person on the outside of the bus may break the door handle trying to open the emergency exit potentially delaying evacuation and increasing the risk of personal injury to the vehicle's occupants.
Remedy: Daimler trucks will notify owners and will replace the handles with a more robust handle free of charge. Repairs will be performed by thomas built buses dealerships. The recall began on august 18, 2008, and notification for the revised population is expected to begin on or about april 29, 2009. Owners may contact thomas built at 336-889-4871.
Filed by DAIMLER TRUCKS NORTH AMERICA (manufacturer campaign FL-525).
Defect, as filed: Certain 2001 through 2008 thomas built fs-56, er, mvp er, hdx, and mvp ef school buses manufactured from october 23, 2000, through january 24, 2006, equipped with tyco pc board and type II auto reset circuit breakers. Type II auto reset circuit breaker temperatures may exceed the rating of the tyco pc board causing the boards to melt potentially resulting in a vehicle fire.
Consequence: A vehicle fire can occur possibly resulting in a crash.
Remedy: Thomas built will notify owners and repair the buses by replacing the type II auto reset circuit breakers with manual circuit breakers, and the jumper cable. The recall began on march 28, 2008. Owners may contact thomas built customer support office at 336-889-4871.
Filed by FREIGHTLINER LLC (manufacturer campaign FL-516).
Defect, as filed: Certain my 1994 through 2002 thomas built minotour, fs-65, mvp-ef, er, and hdx-ef school buses manufactured between january 23, 1994, and april 15, 2002. The seat belt may chafe on the edge of a metal bracket and wear prematurely.
Consequence: In the event of a vehicle crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained, possibly resulting in personal injury.
Remedy: Thomas built will notify owners and replace any chafed seat belts and replace or modify the retainer strip to prevent any further chafing. The recall began on february 8, 2008. Owners may contact thomas built at 336-889-4871 or contact freightliner at 800-547-0712.
Filed by FREIGHTLINER LLC (manufacturer campaign FL-495).
Defect, as filed: Certain 1998-2003 my freightliner fs-65 school bus chassis and mb-45, mb-55, and xb shuttle bus chassis, and thomas built bus: mvp-er and mvp-ef school bus and non-school bus models equipped with cummins isb diesel engines and equipped with federal-mogal 12 and 24 volt fuel lift pumps. The fuel pump could fail to transfer fuel appropriately creating an engine stall condition.
Consequence: Should the engine stall while the vehicle is in use, a possible vehicle crash could occur.
Remedy: Cummins will notify the customers of freightliner and thomas built and replace the fuel lift pump free of charge. Owners may contact cummins at 1-800-diesels.
Filed by FREIGHTLINER LLC (manufacturer campaign FL-447).
Defect, as filed: Certain 2001-2004 my thomas built mvp-ef, er transit, mvp-er, hd, and hdx school buses manufactured between september 24, 2000, and march 4, 2004. The tie rod assembly can fracture and fail, possibly resulting in complete separation.
Consequence: Tie rod failure can possibly result in complete wheel separation and a vehicle crash could occur.
Remedy: Thomas built will notify its customers and will replace the tie rod assembly free of charge. The recall began september 6, 2005. Owners may contact thomas built at (we do not yet have a telephone number).
Filed by FREIGHTLINER LLC (manufacturer campaign FL-441).
Defect, as filed: On certain thomas school buses, the alternator cable can pinch between the air conditioning compressor and engine block.
Consequence: This can result in damage to wire insulation and potentially cause a short circuit.
Remedy: Dealers will re-route the cable. Owner notification began july 28, 2003. 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 freightliner/thomas built at
Filed by FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION (manufacturer campaign FL-415).
Defect, as filed: On certain school or transit buses with passenger seat belts with retractors, the cover halves for the retractable portion of the belt can separate completely and release the seat belt connector. If this occurs, one of the load bearing pins in the connector could separate from the connector and render the seat belt unusable. In the event of a crash, the seat occupant would not be properly restrained resulting in an injury. The seat belt supplier, amsafe, will provide a snap on "over-cover" to owners to prevent the seat belt cover from separating.
Consequence: If this occurs, one of the load bearing pins in the connector could separate from the connector and render the seat belt unusable. In the event of a crash, the seat occupant would not be properly restrained resulting in an injury.
Remedy: Dealers will provide a plastic outer cover that snaps over the existing cover on units in the field and will replace broken seat belts free of charge. 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 336-841-5924 or amsafe at 574-266-8330.
Filed by FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION.
Defect, as filed: On certain school and transit buses, the wheel lug nut may not tighten completely.
Consequence: The wheel could loosen increasing the risk of loss of control of the vehicle.
Remedy: Dealers will install new wheel studs. Owner notification began february 28, 2002. 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 336-889-4871.
Filed by FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION.
Defect, as filed: Vehicle description: certain school buses fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 217, "bus emergency exits and window retention and release." a third roof hatch must be added to meet the standard requirements. Only vehicles located in the state of washington are involved.
Consequence: In the event of a crash, the bus occupant may not be able to exit the bus quickly.
Remedy: Dealers will install a third roof hatch. Owner notification began may 1, 2002. 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 336-889-4871.
Filed by FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION.
Defect, as filed: Vehicle description: certain school buses equipped with syntec seats fail to conform to the requirements of FMVSS no. 222, "school bus passenger seating and crash protection." some seats (1) fail to meet the required four inch clearance during the test procedure, while still meeting the post test condition; (2) fail to meet the required frontal pre-load when testing under certain conditions; or (3) while still meeting the required force/defection, experience weld breakage.
Consequence: In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly protected.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat frame and the seat back cushion on these vehicles. Owner notification began november 13, 2001. 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 336-889-4871.
Filed by FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION.
Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
No consumer complaints for this model year are in the NHTSA file.
Investigations
| Action | Type | Subject | Component | Opened | Closed | Recall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PE07054 | Preliminary evaluation | EMERGENCY DOOR HANDLE FAILURE | structure:body:door:hinge and attachments | 9 Nov 2007 | 4 Mar 2008 | 08V087000 |
| PE04062 | Preliminary evaluation | TIE ROD TUBE FAILURE | steering:linkages:tie rod assembly | 3 Sep 2004 | 2 Feb 2005 | — |
| EA04014 | Engineering analysis | SCHOOL BUS LIGHTING FAILURES | exterior lighting:headlights:switch | 9 Jun 2004 | 20 Dec 2004 | — |
Other Thomas MVP EF model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 3 | 0 | 11,865 |
| 1995 | 4 | 0 | 255,300 |
| 1996 | 4 | 1 | 261,257 |
| 1997 | 6 | 2 | 301,442 |
| 1998 | 8 | 3 | 317,903 |
| 1999 | 10 | 0 | 333,918 |
| 2000 | 11 | 0 | 77,540 |
| 2001 | 10 | 0 | 312,434 |
| 2002 | 9 | 0 | 328,835 |
| 2003 | 6 | 0 | 317,094 |
| 2004 | 6 | 1 | 309,404 |
| 2005 | 5 | 0 | 304,585 |
| 2006 | 4 | 0 | 279,203 |
| 2007 | 4 | 0 | 279,203 |
| 2008 | 4 | 0 | 296,355 |
Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.
All Thomas MVP EF model years · Thomas: 27 model lines
Questions and answers
How many recalls does the 2001 Thomas MVP EF have?
10 NHTSA recall campaigns name this model year; the most recent, 08V087000, was reported to NHTSA on 26 Feb 2008 and concerns structure:body:door:hinge and attachments. Across all model years the Thomas MVP EF line has 24 campaigns.
Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 2001 Thomas MVP EF?
NHTSA's investigation file lists 3 actions naming this model year; the table above shows each action's opening and closing dates. An action with no closing date was still open when the file was produced.
What component do owners of the 2001 Thomas MVP EF complain about most?
No complaints for this model year are in the NHTSA file.
How do I get a recall repaired?
NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 29 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 29 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.