FL986 – Insufficient Interior Joint Strength – 2024-2025 Thomas Built SAF-T-LINER C2 & 2024 Thomas Built SAF-T-LINER C2 Jouley School Buses

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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

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