2008 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 problems, complaints & recalls
Updated from NHTSA data · How we count
No owner complaints are on file for the 2008 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 yet. There are 16 recalls for this model year.
- Complaints
- 0
- Recalls
- 16
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Median mileage
- — at time of problem
Key facts
- The 2008 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 has 16 recalls on file.
- NHTSA has opened 9 defect investigations covering this vehicle.
2008 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 recalls (16)
- EQUIPMENT
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
Risk: 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.
- EQUIPMENT
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2005-2018 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 school buses. In the event of a crash, the wheelchair pocket track anchorage may not adequately secure a the wheelchair.
Risk: In the event of a crash, an unsecured wheelchair may increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will add additional fasteners to the wheelchair pocket track to reinforce the anchorage, free of charge. An interim notice was sent to owners on September 13, 2017. The recall began on December 20, 2017. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-745-8000. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-743.
- EQUIPMENT
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2005-2018 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 transit buses. In the event of a crash, the wheelchair pocket track anchorage may not adequately secure a the wheelchair.
Risk: In the event of a crash, an unsecured wheelchair may increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will add additional fasteners to the wheelchair pocket track to reinforce the anchorage, free of charge. An interim letter was mailed on September 13, 2017. The recall began on December 20, 2017. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-745-8000. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-743.
- EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
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.
Risk: 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.
- STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain model year 2002-2013 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner ER, 2001-2005 Saf-T-Liner Conventional, 2002-2013 Saf-T-Liner MVP-EF, 2013 Saf-T-Liner EFX, 2001-2008 Saf-T-Liner FS65, 2005-2013 Saf-T-Liner C2, 2003-2013 Saf-T-Liner HDX, 2002-2003 Saf-T-Liner MVP-ER, 2002 Vista, and 2002-2003 TL-960 school buses manufactured from February 5, 2001, through May 29, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the stem that connects the outside emergency door handle to the emergency door opening mechanism may corrode.
Risk: If the stem corrodes, the door handle could detach from the emergency door opening mechanism, delaying the opening of the door and the evacuation of the bus. In the event of an emergency, this may increase the risk of injury to the bus occupants.
Remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will either replace the stems or protect them against corrosion, free of charge. Daimler issued an interim notification to owners on August 25, 2015. The recall began on December 24, 2015. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-745-8000. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-685.
- STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain model year 2002-2004 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner ER, 2001-2005 Saf-T-Liner Conventional, 2002-2013 Saf-T-Liner MVP-EF, 2013 Saf-T-Liner EFX, 2001-2008 Saf-T-Liner FS65, 2005-2013 Saf-T-Liner C2, 2003-2013 Saf-T-Liner HDX, 2002-2003 Saf-T-Liner MVP-ER, 2002 Vista, and 2002-2003 TL-960 non-school buses. In the affected vehicles, the stem that connects the outside emergency door handle to the emergency door opening mechanism may corrode.
Risk: If the stem corrodes, the door handle could detach from the emergency door opening mechanism, delaying the opening of the door and the evacuation of the bus. In the event of an emergency, this may increase the risk of injury to the bus occupants.
Remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will either replace the stems or protect them against corrosion, free of charge. An interim notice was mailed to owners on August 28, 2015. The recall began on December 24, 2015. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-745-8000. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-685.
- EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
Daimler trucks north america (dtna) is recalling certain model year 2007 through 2011 saf-t-liner ef, minotour, saf-t-liner c2, and saf-t-liner hdx school buses equipped with braun century-2 and vista-2 wheelchair lifts. Over time, and with frequent use, the roll stop latches on the outer barrier may become bent or misaligned.
Risk: A wheelchair occupant may defeat or ride over the insufficiently latched roll stop. If this occurs when the lift platform is in an elevated position, the wheelchairs occupant could fall and sustain injury.
Remedy: Dtna will notify owners, and the repairs will be performed by authorized braun dealers free of charge. The safety recall began on june 28, 2012. Owners may contact dtna at 1-800-547-0712.
- EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
Daimler trucks north america (dtna) is recalling certain model year 2007 through 2011 saf-t-liner ef, minotour, saf-t-liner c2, saf-t-liner hdx transit buses equipped with braun century-2 and vista-2 wheelchair lifts. Over time, and with frequent use, the roll stop latches on the outer barrier may become bent or misaligned.
Risk: A wheelchair occupant may defeat or ride over the insufficiently latched roll stop. If this occurs when the lift platform is in an elevated position, the wheelchairs occupant could fall and sustain injury.
Remedy: Dtna will notify owners, and the repairs will be performed by authorized braun dealers, free of charge. The safety recall began on june 28, 2012. Owners may contact dtna at 1-800-547-0712.
- SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Daimler trucks (dtna) is recalling certain model year 2005 through 2009 thomas built saf-t-liner c2 school buses manufactured from march 9, 2004, through january 2, 2008, equipped with caterpillar c7 engines, hydraulic brakes, and a fuel water separator. The fuel line going from the fuel water separator to the engine may rub on the hydraulic brake lines potentially resulting in brake fluid leak.
Risk: A brake fluid leak may reduce braking performance increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dtna will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles to ensure that there is the correct clearance between the fuel and brake lines. Damaged lines will be replaced. Repairs will be made by dtna authorized service facilities free of charge. The safety recall began on december 27, 2011. Owners may contact dtna at 1-800-547-0712.
- EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
Daimler trucks (dtna) is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2011 saf-t-liner c2, saf-t-liner hdx, mvp-ef, fs-65, and minotor school buses manufactured from january 2, 2006, through january 31, 2011, equipped with carrier genv em-1 evaporator units. Due to time, temperature, and/or vibration, the fuse may loosen in the fuse holder resulting in high resistance and arcing.
Risk: If sufficient arcing occurs, the fuse holder may melt, and a vehicle fire may occur.
Remedy: Dtna will notify owners and provide information on how to obtain the retrofit kit from carrier along with repair instructions. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on may 20, 2011. (see carrier's recall campaign 11e-003.) owners may contact carrier at 1-800-793-4741 or dtna at 1-800-547-0712.
- EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Certain model year 2000 through 2009 thomas built school buses manufactured from april 17, 2000, through december 21, 2009, were equipped with an incorrect tire load certification label. The certification labels list "d" load range tires with a recommended cold tire inflation pressure greater than 65 psi. The buses are equipped with load range "e" tires that require a higher minimum tire pressure. Accordingly, these buses fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 120, "tire selection and rims for motor vehicles other than passenger cars."
Risk: Incorrect tire information may lead to vehicle overloading that can result in a tire failure which may lead to a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Dtna will notify owners and dealers will replace the incorrect label with a correct label free of charge or, if the owner wishes, they may replace the label themselves. Owners should contact dtna at 1-800-547-0712 or thomas built at 1-336-889-4871 to obtain the label if they wish to affix it themselves. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about may 28, 2011.
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Daimler trucks is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2009 thomas built saf-t-liner c2 and saf-t-liner hdx school buses and fccc b2 bus chassis used in saf-t-liner c2 school buses manufactured from august 18, 2006, through july 7, 2010, equipped with epa 2007 mbe 900 detroit diesel engines. Engine software may not react properly to certain aftermarket treatment device fault codes. The software may unnecessarily shutdown a vehicle or may fail to shutdown a vehicle with an aftermarket device over-temp fault.
Risk: Unexpected shutdown of a vehicle may increase the risk of a crash. Overheating of the aftertreatment device without engine shutdown may result in a fire.
Remedy: Daimler trucks will notify owners and repairs will be performed by detroit diesel free of charge. The safety recall began on march 25, 2011. Owners may contact daimler trucks at 1-800-547-0712. This safety recall campaign is an expansion of a previous recall (please see 10v-468).
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Daimler trucks is recalling certain model year 2008 through 2011 saf-t-liner c2 and saf-t-liner hdx school buses manufactured from october 5, 2006 through may 24, 2010, equipped with epa 2007 mbe 900 detroit diesel engines. Engine software may not react properly to certain aftermarket treatment device fault codes. The software may unnecessarily shutdown a vehicle or may fail to shutdown a vehicle with an aftermarket device over-temp fault.
Risk: Unexpected shutdown of a vehicle may increase the risk of a crash. Overheating of the aftertreatment device without engine shutdown may result in a fire.
Remedy: Daimler trucks will notify owners and repairs will be performed by detroit diesel free of charge. The safety recall began on december 30, 2010. Owners may contact daimler trucks at 1-800-547-0712.
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Daimler trucks is recalling certain model year 2007 through 2011 fccc b2 106 ch and thomas built saf-t-liner c2 and hdx school buses manufactured from september 5, 2006 through june 30, 2010, equipped with specific mbe900 epa04 and epa07 model engines. The intake air grid heater may short circuit and fail due to excessive internal temperatures.
Risk: A short circuited grid heater could result in a vehicle fire and injury to vehicle occupants.
Remedy: Daimler trucks will notify owners and dealers will repair the buses free of charge. Repairs will be performed by detroit diesel corporation authorized repair facilities. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about july 29, 2011. Owners may contact daimler trucks toll-free at 1-800-547-0712.
- EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
Dtna is recalling certain model year 2005 through 2011 thomas built saf-t-liner c2 school buses manufactured beginning january 19, 2005 through april 16, 2010. The stop lamps may be intermittent during light brake applications.
Risk: The stop lamps may not properly indicate that the service brakes are applied which may lead to a crash without warning.
Remedy: Dtna will notify owners and repairs will be performed by dtna dealerships free of charge. The safety recall began on may 27, 2011. Owners may contact dtna at 1-800-547-0712.
- STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
Dtna has notified nhtsa about a defect in certain model year 2008 through 2011 thomas built saf-t-liner c2 school buses manufactured from may 10, 2007, through january 8, 2010. The reed switch used to detect the position of the air operated front entrance door may malfunction causing warning lights and the crossing arm to operate improperly during student loading and unloading.
Risk: Malfunctioning warning lights during the loading and unloading process could put the students at risk of injury.
Remedy: Dtna will notify owners and the repairs will be performed by thomas built buses dealerships free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about may 10, 2010. Owners may contact thomas built at 1-336-889-4871.
NHTSA defect investigations
- PE19007Opened Jun 18, 2019Closed Oct 17, 2023
Rear Leaf Spring Fractures
On June 18, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-007 to investigate instances of leaf-style suspension springs fracturing in various model 2008-2018 Thomas Built Buses (TBB) school buses, which could lead to a road hazard if a piece of the leaf spring detaches from the vehicle while driving. This investigation was prompted by ODI’s review of field reports in Daimler Truck North America's (DTNA) Early Warning Reporting (EWR) data, describing cracked rear leaf-style suspension springs in Thomas Built school buses. ODI contacted three municipal school bus fleets with subjec…
Brake Line Chafing
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a complaint alleging brake fluid loss caused by a ruptured brake line that had chafed against a wire harness in the engine compartment of the complainant?s vehicle.It was determined that the chafing was caused by contact between the convoluted tubing covering the fuel supply line and the metal brake lines.This issue only affects units with a Caterpillar (CAT) C7 engine and a fuel water separator mounted in a specific location on the frame rail.Not all units with CAT engines were equipped with fuel water separators, but all units with CAT engin…
Stop Lamps Intermittent
This investigation was opened after ODI was contacted by a fleet alleging that in certain situations, such as a light brake peal application during a low speed operation, the brake lamps fail to illuminate on the rear of the bus.ODI confirmed the problem with two fleets.On April 29, 2010, Daimler filed a defect report concerning this issue. The stop lamps may be intermittent during light brake applications.They are still evaluating the remedial program and will furnish this information to ODI when it is available. This safety recallresolves the issue raised by this investigation. Hence, this i…
Inoperative 8-Way Warning Lamps
This investigation was opened after ODI received a complaint from a school bus fleet stating they had experienced warning lamps failing upon opening the front entrance door. After completing their evaluation, Daimler Trucks North America, the parent company of Freightliner and Thomas Built Buses, decided to conduct a safety recall to replace the reed switch on the front entrance door with a more robust switch. All repairs will be made by Thomas Built Buses dealers and direct warranty customers. The action taken by Daimler and Thomas Built Buses resolves this investigation. Accordingly, this in…
Rear spring trailing arm bolt loose
This investigation was opened after odi was informed by two school bus fleets that they had found loose bolts on the rear suspension trailing arms of the air ride suspension on several of their buses. Odi visited the local dealer and confirmed the loose bolts.if these bolts fail and separate, the rear suspension can shift, allowing the rear end housing to move forward or backward.this could have a detrimental impact on vehicle control.in late november2009, daimlerfiled a safety recall (09v-458) outlining theirremedy program.daimler will inspect and torque all the rear suspension fasteners as n…
Door glass detachment
This investigation was opened after a fleet notified odi that it had lost a front door glass panel while the bus was being operated.a field inspection revealed twelve more buses had loose door glass panels.odi is always concerned with objects that separate from vehicles and could possibly strike another vehicle or hit a pedestrian.odi's findings were relayed to daimler and they commenced an investigation.daimler will conduct a safety recall to correct this condition on approximately 13,945 buses. Daimler believes that the entrance door glass may be inadequately bonded to the door frame.daimler…
Improper handrail installation
This investigation was opened aftera school bus district informed odi that during a new businspection the handrails were found to be mounted too close to the bottom step of the bus and failed the drawstring test.(the drawstring test was developed in the early 90's to ensure that children's drawstrings would not get caught in the handrail while exiting the bus.)several other new buses were inspected and they also failed the test. Daimler took immediate action to confirm the problem and determine the scope. Odi has a prior history with this type of failure and opened a pe to further evaluate the…
Emergency door handle failure
The office of defects investigation opened this preliminary evaluationafterbecoming aware that fleets were having handle failures on the rear emergency door exit.the failure resulted in the door handle separating from thedoor latch mechanism.when the handle fails, the rear emergency exit door can not be opened from outside the bus.the failure results from corrosion of the exterior door handle around the securing roll pin and square drive latch mechanism, causing the protective finish to chip and flake.continued corrosion weakens the handle and eventually the handle may break while trying to op…
Inadvertent door closing
This investigation was opened based on four fleets contacting odi alleging multiple events where the front entrance door unexpectedly closed while loading and discharging children.when this occurs, the bus warning lights (red warning lamps and stop arm lamps) are de-activated, since they operate off the door control.odi ?s concern was that children may still be crossing the road and be in the path of traffic should this event occur.as a result of this investigation, freightliner submitted a safety recall to repair approximately 11,359 model year 2005 through 2008 saf-t-liners.this recall cover…
Recent 2008 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 complaints
Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
No narrative complaints on file.
Compare the 2008 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 with another vehicle →
Other 2008 Thomas Built Buses models
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 10, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology