December 13, 2023 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 23V843000
Insufficient Interior Joint Strength/FMVSS 221
A school bus with insufficient joint strength may not adequately protect passengers in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V843
Manufacturer Daimler Trucks
North America, LLC
Components STRUCTURE
Potential Number of Units Affected 321
Summary
Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Thomas Built SAF-T-LINER C2 and 2024 Thomas Built SAF-T-LINER C2 Jouley school buses. A rear interior joint between the bulkhead and window panel may have been manufactured incorrectly, resulting in insufficient joint strength. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 221, “School Bus Body Joint Strength.”
Remedy
Dealers will add additional mechanical fasteners to secure the joints, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed February 4, 2024. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA’s number for this recall is FL986.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Check for Daimler Trucks North America Recalls
Chronology :
In late November 2023, TBB identified a possible mis-installation of the rear interior bulkhead to the rear interior window panel on a vehicle at its facilities. TBB promptly corrected the issue on this particular vehicle. Because work on a vehicle occurs across multiple production shifts, but the observed mis-installation of the interior bulkhead occurred during a specific production shift, TBB also began an investigation of whether other vehicles also could have had this joint installed during this particular production shift.
In the last week of November 2023, upon determining that some vehicles did have the bulkhead to window panel installed in this shift, TBB began to investigate whether the rear interior joint for any of those other vehicles may have been improperly installed. Thomas Built Buses continued working to identify potentially affected vehicles and conducted testing on the rear interior joint to understand whether it met the joint strength performance requirements of FMVSS 221. On December 06, 2023, DTNA decided to initiate a voluntary noncompliance recall for this issue.
3 Affected Products
Vehicles
| MAKE | MODEL | YEAR |
| THOMAS BUILT BUSES | SAF-T-LINER C2 | 2024-2025 |
| THOMAS BUILT BUSES | SAF-T-LINER C2 JOULEY | 2024 |
2 Associated Documents
Recall Acknowledgement
RCAK-23V843-1743.pdf 645.448KB
Noncompliance Notice 573 Report
RCLRPT-23V843-7351.PDF 214.615KB
Latest Recalls Documents
For the Latest and Most recent Recall Information Visit the link below…
- STRONG, LASTING CONSTRUCTION BOND: Liquid Nails heavy duty construction adhesive forms a permanent bond that outlasts the project on interior and exterior builds.
- WATERPROOF & WEATHERPROOF: Holds up to moisture, humidity and temperature swings indoors and out, making it ideal for decks, siding and exterior trim.
- BONDS MANY MATERIALS: Grips wood, plywood, OSB, drywall, tileboard, brick veneer, concrete and more for framing, paneling and remodeling jobs.
- EXCEPTIONAL HOLDING POWER: High-strength formula bridges gaps and holds heavy materials with a flexible bond that resists impact and movement.
- GENEROUS COVERAGE: One cartridge covers roughly 30+ linear feet with a 1/4-inch bead; meets ASTM C-557 for construction adhesive performance.
- OUR STRONGEST FORMULA: Maximum bond strength with a clear, professional finish for projects that demand maximum hold indoors and out
- DRIES CRYSTAL CLEAR: Dries crystal clear with a non-foaming formula for clean, invisible bonds, plus paintable in 2 hours and sandable once cured
- WORKS UNDER WATER: 100% waterproof formula that works under water and bonds on wet surfaces, ideal for tub, shower, worktops, and outdoor jobs
- PAINTABLE & SANDABLE: Easy-to-use formula gap-filling coverage, plus up to 30 minutes working time for repositioning
- BONDS MANY SURFACES: Bonds wood, metal, ceramic, tile, stone, brick, foam, glass, mirrors, concrete, granite, marble, drywall, and laminate
- All Purpose: One component polyurethane-based adhesive that covers a wide variety of projects and bonds to most materials for consistently successful results
- 3X Stronger: 3 times as strong as ordinary construction adhesives and stronger than many substrates it joins together
- Versatile: Ideal for sub floor installations and bonds to most common construction materials such as wood, OSB, drywall, brick, concrete, masonry, stone, foam insulation, metal, ceramic, PVC, and more
- Interior and Exterior: Paintable adhesive with no strong solvent odor that sets in 30 minutes and fully cures in 24 hours for projects inside and out
- Weather Resistant: Waterproof and can be applied directly to wet and frozen surfaces without shrinking and cures in cold temperatures
- Our strongest formula: This heavy duty glue is 2x stronger than Gorilla Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive Ultimate
- Crystal clear: Clear Gorilla glue leaves a discreet finish to keep the focus on your project, not the glue
- All purpose glue: A waterproof glue formulated for virtually all projects and repairs; this Gorilla glue gives indoor or outdoor projects a Gorilla Tough bond, even under water
- Paintable: Because this adhesive glue works on so many surfaces, it's paintable for any finish that you prefer
- Gap filling: Gorilla Glue Construction Adhesive also works as a gap filling adhesive caulk for in-home projects
- HEAVY DUTY HOLD: 100% adhesive formula delivers a long-lasting, heavy duty bond that won't shrink or crack over time for tough projects
- FAST GRAB FORMULA: Fast grab (30 seconds) with a 10 minute working time, then press surfaces together and hold to set your project quickly
- ALL WEATHER WATERPROOF: 100% waterproof and able to bond instantly, indoors or out, it withstands extreme temperatures for reliable indoor and outdoor use
- PAINTABLE GAP FILLING: Sandable and paintable, gap-filling formula paintable as soon as 30 minutes after application, best within 2 days
- BONDS MANY SURFACES: Grabs subfloor, drywall, trim, molding, mirrors, metal, plaster, plastic, and painted surfaces in one non-foaming formula
SEOCONTENT-START
OMB Control No.: 2127-0004
Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23V-843
The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573
Manufacturer Name : Submission Date :
Daimler Trucks North America, LLC DEC 13, 2023 NHTSA Recall No. : 23V-843 Manufacturer Recall No. : FL986 Manufacturer Information :
Manufacturer Name : Daimler Trucks North America, LLC Address : 4747 N. Channel Avenue
Portland OR 97217-3849
Company phone : 800-745-8000 Population :
Number of potentially involved : 321 Estimated percentage with defect : 19 % Vehicle Information : Vehicle 1 : 2024-2025 Thomas Built Busses SAF-T-LINER C2 Vehicle Type : BUSES, MEDIUM & HEAVY VEHICLES Body Style : OTHER Power Train : DIESEL
Descriptive Information : The rear interior joint formed by the bulkhead and window panel on certain Thomas Built Buses (TBB) Saf-T-Liner C2 and C2 Jouley school buses built during a specific TBB production shift and over the course of a specific vehicle production period may not meet the requirements of FMVSS 221 S5.1. TBB Saf-T-Liner C2 and C2 Jouley school buses manufactured outside of the specific production shift and specific vehicle production period are not affected.
Production Dates : SEP 01, 2023 – NOV 13, 2023
VIN Range 1 : Begin : NR End : NR Not sequential Vehicle 2 : 2024-2024 Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-LINER C2 JOULEY Vehicle Type : BUSES, MEDIUM & HEAVY VEHICLES Body Style : OTHER Power Train : HYBRID ELECTRIC
Descriptive Information : The rear interior joint formed by the bulkhead and window panel on certain Thomas Built Buses (TBB) Saf-T-Liner C2 and C2 Jouley school buses built during a specific TBB production shift and over the course of a specific vehicle production period may not meet the requirements of FMVSS 221 S5.1. TBB Saf-T-Liner C2 and C2 Jouley school buses manufactured outside of the specific production shift and specific vehicle production period are not affected.
Production Dates : SEP 01, 2023 – SEP 18, 2023
VIN Range 1 : Begin : NR End : NR Not sequential Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23V-843 Page 2 Description of Noncompliance : Description of the Noncompliance : On certain model year 2024 and 2025 TBB Saf-T-Liner C2 and C2 Jouley school buses built during a specific TBB production shift and over the course of a specific vehicle production period, the rear interior joint formed by the bulkhead and window panel may not meet the joint strength requirement of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 221, School Bus Body Joint Strength FMVSS 1 : 221 – School bus body joint strength FMVSS 2 : NR
Description of the Safety Risk : On the affected vehicles, a body joint that does not meet the joint strength
requirement of FMVSS 221 may increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Description of the Cause : NR Identification of Any Warning NR
that can Occur : Involved Components : Component Name 1 : Bulkhead and Window Panel
Component Description : Rear Interior bulkhead and Rear Interior window panel Component Part Number : NR Supplier Identification : Component Manufacturer
Name : DAIMLER TRUCK NORTH AMERICA
Address : 4555
NORTH CHANNEL AVENUE Portland Oregon 97217 Country : United States Chronology :
In late November 2023, TBB identified a possible mis-installation of the rear interior bulkhead to the rear interior window panel on a vehicle at its facilities. TBB promptly corrected the issue on this particular vehicle. Because work on a vehicle occurs across multiple production shifts, but the observed mis-installation of the interior bulkhead occurred during a specific production shift, TBB also began an investigation of whether other vehicles also could have had this joint installed during this particular production shift. In the last week of November 2023, upon determining that some vehicles did have the bulkhead to window panel installed in this The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573 Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23V-843
Page 3
The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573
shift, TBB began to investigate whether the rear interior joint for any of those other vehicles may have been improperly installed. Thomas Built Buses continued working to identify potentially affected vehicles and conducted testing on the rear interior joint to understand whether it met the joint strength performance requirements of FMVSS 221. On December 06, 2023, DTNA decided to initiate a voluntary noncompliance recall for this issue.
Description of Remedy :
Description of Remedy Program : Additional mechanical fasteners will be added to the joints on affected
vehicles in order to bring the vehicles into compliance with FMVSS 221,
5.1. Repairs will be performed free of charge by Daimler Truck North America authorized service facilities. Details of the reimbursement plan will be included in the owner’s notification letter. Owners are directed to seek reimbursement through authorized dealers. How Remedy Component Differs from Recalled Component : Identify How/When Recall Condition was Corrected in Production : Vehicles with the remedy will have additional mechanical fasteners added to the interior bulkhead joint. Vehicles within the affected population and without the remedy do not have additional mechanical fasteners installed.
Vehicles within TBB’s control were corrected through a quality containment and additional fasteners were installed. TBB conducted training on the interior bulkhead joint installation process.
Recall Schedule :
Description of Recall Schedule : NR
Planned Dealer Notification Date : FEB 04, 2024 – FEB 04, 2024
Planned Owner Notification Date : FEB 04, 2024 – FEB 04, 2024
* NR – Not Reported
**************************************************************************************************************
**************************************************************************************************************
SEOCONTENT-END
This product presentation was made with AAWP plugin.