THOMAS Complaints

I WAS DRIVING THOMAS REAR ENGINE HDX BUS WITH 38 PASSENGERS ON 3/19/20. MY LEFT FOOT ,STEEL TOE BOOT,WAS POSITIONED IN FRONT OF AND POSSIBLY UNDER BRAKE PEDAL AS I MOVED TO BE COMFORTABLE WHILE DRIVING. I APPROACHED A STOP LIGHT USING ENGINE BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN ON A 50MPH HWY NO INJURIES WHEN I TRIED TO APPLY FOOT BRAKE I COULDN'T FIND IT. ULTIMATELY REAR ENDED A 2007 GMC YUKON PLEASE SEE RECREATED PICTURE . I'M CONCERNED THIS COULD HAPPEN TO OTHERS IN MORE SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THOMAS HAS NOW CHANGED OPERATORS COMPARTMENT BUT THERE WERE ABOUT FIVE YEARS OF THIS BRAKE PEDAL HAZARD MY VIDEO MUST BE TOO LARGE TO SEND

METAL SEAT BACK SUPPORT SPOT WELDS COME LOOSE CAUSING METAL TO NO LONGER BE ATTACHED TO FRAME. THE SEAT FOAM NO LONGER GIVES PROTECTION. ONE UNIT ALONE HAS 22 AFFECTED SEATS.ON THE SCHOOL BUS. *TR

BROKEN SEAT BACKS. 14 OUT OF 28 SEAT BACKS BROKEN. BUSSES DO NOT HAVE SEAT BELTS THIS IS THE SAFETY BARRIER FOR THE CHILDREN. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. THE SEAT MANUFACTURER IS DOING NOTHING TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. EVERY BUS WE PULL IN HAS MULTIPLE SEATS BROKEN. THIS IS ONLY A 4 YEAR OLD BUS!! *TR

STUDENT SEATS BROKEN. FIVE OUT OF FIFTEEN OF THE SEATS ON THIS BUS HAVE BROKEN SEAT BACKS. THE SHEET METAL BACKING IN THE INTERIOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE FRAME IS BREAKING AROUND THE SPOT WELDS WHERE IT IS WELDED TO THE STEEL TUBE FRAME. THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THESE SEATS MANUFACTURED BY SYNTEC INC. MOST BUSSES RUNNING DOWN THE ROAD HAVE BROKEN SEAT BACKS IF THEY HAVE NOT ALREADY BEEN REPAIRED. THE SEATS ARE THE SAFETY BARRIER FOR THE STUDENTS IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH AND THIS COULD BE AFFECTING THE STUDENT SAFETY. *TR

SEAT BACKS BROKEN, SHEET METAL BACKING BREAKING AROUND THE SPOT WELDS WHERE IT IS SECURED TO THE TUBE FRAME. SYNTEC SEAT - MANUFACTURER. *TR

SEAT BACKS BROKEN, SHEET METAL BACKING BREAKING AROUND THE SPOT WELDS WHERE IT IS SECURED TO THE TUBE FRAME. SYNTEC SEAT - MANUFACTURER. *TR

ON THE SYNTEC SCHOOL BUS SEATS THE SHEET METAL BACKING IS BREAKING AWAY FROM THE TUBE FRAME. THE SHEET METAL IS BREAKING AROUND THE SPOT WELDS. THIS PARTICULAR BUS HAD 6 BROKEN SEATS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 THOMAS SCHOOL BUS BODY EQUIPPED WITH AN INTERNATIONAL CHASSIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BURNING FUMES WERE EMITTED FROM UNDER THE DASHBOARD AND WITHIN MINUTES, THE VEHICLE HAD BECOME ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED AND THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE UNDER THE DASHBOARD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 THOMAS TRANSIT LINER BUS(NA). THE CONTACT STATED THE FRAME RAIL FRACTURED NEAR THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE AXLE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 152,900.

BUS WAS IN SERVICE AND ON ROUTE WITH STUDENTS ON BOARD. BUS INTERIOR STARTED FILLING WITH SMOKE. DRIVER PULLED OVER AND DID AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION OF STUDENTS. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE A/C 24 VOLT ALT HAD FULL FIELDED AND CAUSED THE WIRING TO COMPLETELY MELT THE SHEATHING ON THE ALT POWER WIRE. BACKFEED THROUGH THE SYSTEM CAUSED THE CONTROLLER TO BURN UP INSIDE THE BUS. CARRIER HAS TOLD US THEY KNOW OF THIS PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE A FIX FOR IT. THIS IS ONE OF AT LEAST 10 WE HAVE HAD HAPPEN. SOMETIME IT BURNS UP THE CONDENSER MOTORS AND THE EVAP MOTORS AS WELL. *TR