2002 Thomas MVP EF: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns for the 2002 Thomas MVP EF. The newest campaign is 08V087000. NHTSA received the report on 26 Feb 2008. The NHTSA record gives the component Structure / Body / Door / Hinge and Attachments. NHTSA has no complaint on file for this model year. 3 NHTSA investigations name this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 08V087000, in the NHTSA record

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.

NHTSA VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on 1 Oct 2026. Complaint file through 15 May 2019. Recall file through 29 Sep 2026.

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

9 campaigns, newest first. 328,835 units in total.

08V08700026 Feb 2008Structure / Body / Door / Hinge and Attachments
07V54400029 Nov 2007Electrical System / Wiring / Fuses and Circuit Breakers
07V14200027 Mar 2007Seat Belts
05V3470003 Aug 2005Other / School Bus Stop Arm Assembly
05V34000025 Jul 2005Other / School Bus Stop Arm Assembly
05V20500027 Apr 2005Fuel System, Diesel
05V1370001 Apr 2005Steering / Linkages / Tie Rod Assembly
03V2050002 Jun 2003Electrical System / Alternator/Generator/Regulator
02V2210006 Aug 2002Wheels / Lugs/Nuts/Bolts/Studs

08V087000Received 26 Feb 2008. 243,435 units.
Structure / Body / Door / Hinge and Attachments
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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 NHTSA record
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, in the NHTSA record
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.
Report filed by DAIMLER TRUCKS NORTH AMERICA. Manufacturer campaign number FL-525. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 18 Aug 2008.
07V544000Received 29 Nov 2007. 33,303 units.
Electrical System / Wiring / Fuses and Circuit Breakers
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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, in the NHTSA record
A vehicle fire can occur possibly resulting in a crash.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
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.
Report filed by FREIGHTLINER LLC. Manufacturer campaign number FL-516. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 28 Mar 2008.
07V142000Received 27 Mar 2007. 11,265 units.
Seat Belts
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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 NHTSA record
In the event of a vehicle crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained, possibly resulting in personal injury.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
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.
Report filed by FREIGHTLINER LLC. Manufacturer campaign number FL-495. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 8 Feb 2008.
05V347000Received 3 Aug 2005. 5,954 units.
Other / School Bus Stop Arm Assembly
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Certain 2002-2005 my thomas built minotour, conventional, mvp-er, er, hdx, and mvp-ef model school buses manufactured between january 8, 2002, and march 8, 2005, equipped with specialty mfg "5" series stop arms originally sold in or currently registered in states other than the following states: alaska, colorado, connecticut, delaware, idaho, illinois, indiana, iowa, kansas, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, montana, nebraska, nevada, new hampshire, new jersey, new mexico, new york, north dakota, ohio, oregon, pennsylvania, rhode island, south dakota, tennessee, utah, vermont, virginia, washington, west virginia, wisconsin, wyoming, and the district of columbia. In extremely cold weather, the microswitches used internally to position the stop arm sign in the open and closed positions may malfunction, causing the sign to open or close in an improper position, or to not open at all.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Should the stop arm not perform properly, a child or pedestrian may be endangered by passing vehicles should the motorist not stop at the correct location.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
For those buses operated in or near any of the states listed above, thomas built is encouraging the bus owners to obtain the replacement switch. For those buses operated in the warmer states, dealers will replace the switch upon owner request. For those customers who request the remedy, thomas built will replace the original switch with a switch pack that is not sensitive to extreme cold weather and will inspect to ensure the microswitch heater wiring is properly connected. The recall began on september 14, 2005. Owners may contact thomas built's customer support office at 336-889-4871.
Report filed by FREIGHTLINER LLC. Manufacturer campaign number FL-454. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 14 Sep 2005.
05V340000Received 25 Jul 2005. 13,583 units.
Other / School Bus Stop Arm Assembly
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Certain 2002-2005 my thomas built minotour, conventional, mvp-er, er, hdx, and mvp-ef model school buses manufactured between january 8, 2002, and march 8, 2005, equipped with specialty mfg "5" series stop arms originally sold in or currently registered in the following states: alaska, colorado, connecticut, delaware, idaho, illinois, indiana, iowa, kansas, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, montana, nebraska, nevada, new hampshire, new jersey, new mexico, new york, north dakota, ohio, oregon, pennsylvania, rhode island, south dakota, tennessee, utah, vermont, virginia, washington, west virginia, wisconsin, wyoming, and the district of columbia. In extremely cold weather, the microswitches used internally to position the stop arm sign in the open and closed positions may malfunction, causing the sign to open or close in an improper position, or to not open at all.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Should the stop arm not perform properly, a child or pedestrian may be endangered by passing vehicles should the motorist not stop at the correct location.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Thomas built will notify its owners and replace the original switch with a switch pack that is not sensitive to extreme cold weather and will inspect to ensure the microswitch heater wiring is properly connected free of charge. The recall began on september 14, 2005. Owners may contact thomas built's customer support office at 336-889-4871.
Report filed by FREIGHTLINER LLC. Manufacturer campaign number FL-454. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 14 Sep 2005.
05V205000Received 27 Apr 2005. 16,000 units.
Fuel System, Diesel
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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, in the NHTSA record
Should the engine stall while the vehicle is in use, a possible vehicle crash could occur.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
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.
Report filed by FREIGHTLINER LLC. Manufacturer campaign number FL-447.
05V137000Received 1 Apr 2005. 4,819 units.
Steering / Linkages / Tie Rod Assembly
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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, in the NHTSA record
Tie rod failure can possibly result in complete wheel separation and a vehicle crash could occur.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
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).
Report filed by FREIGHTLINER LLC. Manufacturer campaign number FL-441. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 6 Sep 2005.
03V205000Received 2 Jun 2003. 461 units.
Electrical System / Alternator/Generator/Regulator
Defect, in the NHTSA record
On certain thomas school buses, the alternator cable can pinch between the air conditioning compressor and engine block.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
This can result in damage to wire insulation and potentially cause a short circuit.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
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
Report filed by FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION. Manufacturer campaign number FL-415. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 28 Jul 2003.
02V221000Received 6 Aug 2002. 15 units.
Wheels / Lugs/Nuts/Bolts/Studs
Defect, in the NHTSA record
On certain school and transit buses, the wheel lug nut may not tighten completely.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
The wheel could loosen increasing the risk of loss of control of the vehicle.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
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.
Report filed by FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 28 Feb 2003.

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

The NHTSA complaint file has no complaint for this model year.

Investigations

NHTSA investigations that name the 2002 Thomas MVP EF
Number	Type	Subject	Component	Opened	Closed	Campaign
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

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

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Official channels

NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
NHTSA page of the 2002 Thomas MVP EFThe recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.

Cite this page

Recall Register. 2002 Thomas MVP EF: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/thomas/mvp-ef/2002/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through 29 Sep 2026.

Sources

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence: US government work, public domain
Recall file through: 29 Sep 2026
Complaint file through: 15 May 2019
First complaint in the file: 1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file: DAIMLER TRUCKS NORTH AMERICA

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 2002 Thomas MVP EF?: 328,835 units in 9 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the Thomas MVP EF have for all model years?: NHTSA lists 24 recall campaigns for the Thomas MVP EF, model years 1994 to 2008. 9 of them name the 2002 model year.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 2002 Thomas MVP EF open?: No. Each of the 3 investigations that name this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.