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Thomas Built School Buses Recalled for Wheelchair Lift Problems

March 7, 2008
Daimler Trucks is recalling 760 Thomas Built school buses that are equipped with wheelchair lifts because “the lift user can fall from the vehicle and be seriously injured,” according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The threshold warning system for the wheelchair lifts can fail to operate and does not comply with federal safety requirements, NHTSA reported. “Should the threshold warning system fail to operate, the lift user can fall from the vehicle and be seriously injured,” the agency said on its web site.

The recalled buses were manufactured between July 6, 2005 and July 19, 2006. They are 2003 model year to 2007 models FS-65, HDX, Minotour, MVP EF, and Saf-T-Liner C2.

Thomas Built will provide a free remedy when the recall begins April 25.

Daimler Trucks is also recalling 93,552 Tomas Built School Buses from the 2001 model year to the 2008 model year because the emergency door handle may break when someone must use it from outside the school bus.

“The exit door handle begins corroding around the securing roll pin and square drive mechanism causing the protective finish to chip and flake,” according to the NHTSA web site.

“Continued corrosion and pitting weakens the handle. Handles weakened by corrosion may break while trying to open the door from the exterior. 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,” NHTSA reported.

The school buses include the following Thomas Built models: ER, MVP EF, MVP ER, FS-65, HDX, Minotour, and Saf-T-Liner C2. The school buses manufactured between November 2000 and March 10, 2008.

Thomas Built dealers will replace the handles with a more robust handle free of charge when the recall begins May 2, 2008.

Owners may contact Thomas Built about either recall at 1-336-889-4871.

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