THOMAS BUILT BUSES Complaints

THE CONTACT HAS A FLEET THAT INCLUDES 18 MY2000-2008 THOMAS SCHOOL BUSES. ALL HAVE EXHIBITED MULTIPLE FAILURES TO PASSENGER SEATBACKS; THE SEAT PAN BECOMES DETACHED FROM THE SEAT FRAME. THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED THAT A DAMAGED SEAT MAY NOT PERFORM ITS ROLE IN COMPARTMENTALIZATION AS INTENDED BY FMVSS 222. THE CONTACT FURTHER ALLEGED THAT SEATS WHICH HAVE RECEIVED THE REMEDY DESCRIBED IN THOMAS SERVICE BULLETIN 16A (SEATBACK PAN IS RIVETED TO SEAT FRAME) ARE NO LESS LIKELY TO FAIL AGAIN AND MANY OF THEM HAVE. OTHER NON-THOMAS SCHOOL BUSES IN HIS FLEET DO NOT EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM.

IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING THE EMERGENCY EXIT DOORS ON THE 2007-2008 MODEL SAF-T-LINER C2 BUSES OWNED BY SC DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION THE FLEET DISCOVERED CORROSION RELATED DEGRADATION OF SHAFT TO THE OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE. IT IS BELIEVED THAT WATER IS GETTING PAST THE FOAM WASHER POSITIONED BETWEEN THE EXTERIOR HANDLE AND THE DOOR SKIN. THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED THAT DEGRADATION TO THE STRENGTH OF THE SHAFT COULD CAUSE IT TO FAIL IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY AND DELAY EVACUATION. UPDATED 02/17/12 *BF UPDATED 02/22/12

UNDERBODY CNG FUEL CYLINDER(S) WERE DISCOVERED TO HAVE BEEN ORIGINALLY INSTALLED WITH INSUFFICIENT OVERHEAD CLEARANCE. THE FORWARD MOST CYLINDER (1 OF 5) WAS MOUNTED WITH AN INTERFERENCE FIT AGAINST SUPPORTING STRUCTURE. CYLINDER WRAPPING WAS DAMAGED. OTHER CYLINDERS ON THIS AND SIMILAR THOMAS TRANSIT SCHOOL BUSES HAVE BEEN FOUND WITH WELL UNDER THE .5 INCH CLEARANCE RECOMMENDED BY DOT, CHP, AND THE NGV INDUSTRY. THE BUS MANUFACTURER DECLINED TO ADDRESS THE OEM DESIGN DEFECT, SUBSEQUENT CYLINDER DAMAGE, AND IMMINENT SAFETY CONCERN, ON THIS SCHOOL BUS DUE TO ITS BEING OUT OF STANDARD WARRANTY. LATER MODEL YEAR THOMAS CNG TRANSIT BUSES USE SIMILAR METHODS OF CYLINDER MOUNTING.

ON THE MORNING OF MAY 12, 2011 NORTH CAROLINA PUBLIC SCHOOL BUS LOCATED IN EDGECOMBE COUNTY WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED BY A FIRE THAT ORIGINATED IN THE REAR BULKHEAD AREA OF THE BUS THAT HOUSES A CARRIER AIR CONDITIONER AND ADDITIONAL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. THE BUS WAS ON ITS ROUTE PICKING UP CHILDREN FOR SCHOOL WHEN THE CHILDREN BEGAN TO SMELL SMOKE AND NOTIFIED THE DRIVER. THE DRIVER IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE BUS AND EVACUATED THE CHILDREN JUST MOMENTS BEFORE FIRE WAS SEEN IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF THE BUS IN THE REAR BULKHEAD AREA. THE SCHOOL PERSONNEL REPORTING TO THE SCENE DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY FROM THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FIRST ON THE BUS WHICH WAS ALREADY HEAVILY INVOLVED WITH FLAMES WHEN HE ARRIVED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE BLAZE HOWEVER THE BUS WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED BY THIS TIME. THE ENTIRE INTERIOR OF THE BUS WAS DESTROYED FROM THE FLOOR LEVEL TO THE ROOF AND ONTO THE HOOD COVERING THE ENGINE. THERE WERE 39 CHILDREN ON THE BUS PLUS THE DRIVER AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE BUS IS CURRENTLY ISOLATED FOR INVESTIGATION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 THOMAS BUILT SAF-T-LINER HDX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE STEERING HYDRAULIC PUMP FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 37,107. UPDATED 10/4/11 *CN

2006 THOMAS/FREIGHTLINER SCHOOL BUS CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNT WHILE PARKED. INVESTIGATION FOUND FIRE ORIGIN FROM FLOOR MOUNTED BATTERY CABLES TO THE LEFT OF DRIVER'S SEAT. FURTHER INVESTIGATION INTO NINE SIMILAR BUSES IN THE FLEET FOUND HEAVY CORROSION AT THE BATTERY CABLE ISOLATORS IS OCCURRING WHICH CAN RESULT IN SHORTING AND FIRE. *TR

THOMAS C2 - AMU PARK BRAKE SWITCH, 2007-2008 YEAR MODELS PROBLEM: MY OFFICE RECEIVED REPORTS FROM SCDE MAINTENANCE FACILITIES OF CONTINUED FAILURES WITH THE AIR BRAKE INTERLOCK SYSTEM AIR MANAGEMENT UNIT (AMU). THE FAILURE MODE OF CURRENT CONCERN IS WITH THE PARK BRAKE SWITCH IN THE AMU. THIS FAILURE MODE PREVENTS THE RELEASE OF THE PARK BRAKES. THE SCDE OPERATES 879 OF THESE UNITS. CONCERN: WHEN THIS TYPE OF FAILURE OCCURS, THE DRIVER CAN NO LONGER RELEASE THE PARK BRAKES. SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS ARE TRAINED TO SET THE PARK BRAKES EACH TIME THEY ARE LOADING/UNLOADING STUDENTS. IN MOST CASES THERE IS NO WARNING OR INTERMITTENT FAILURE. FAILURES OF THIS TYPE LEAVE THE BUS AND STUDENTS SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD CREATING A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE BUS CAN NOT BE MOVED FROM THE ROADWAY UNTIL A TECHNICIAN IS DISPATCHED TO MANUALLY RELEASE THE PARK BRAKES AND ALLOW THE BUS TO MOVE. THE STUDENTS MUST THEN BE OFF LOADED ONTO A SPARE BUS BEFORE CONTINUING THE ROUTE. BACKGROUND: THE AMU WAS PREVIOUSLY INVOLVED IN SAFETY RECALL FL538 A-B FOR THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH MODULE FAILURE. WE ARE NOW EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS W/ FAILURES ON THE PARK BRAKE MODULE. WHEN THIS PROBLEM WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION, I HAD OUR STAFF PULL INSTALLATION INFORMATION FOR THE PART NUMBERS INVOLVED FROM ALL 45 MAINTENANCE FACILITIES. TO DATE OUR RECORDS INDICATE THAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS TYPE FAILURE ON 139 BUSES OR 16% OF THE 879 UNITS IN OUR FLEET. THESE UNITS ARE IDENTIFIED IN THE ATTACHED EXCEL FILE.

EMERGENCY BRAKE : WHEN SETTING BRAKE IT TAKES 3 TO 4 TIMES FOR BRAKE TO SET. EMERGENCY BRAKE WILL POP OUT ON IT'S OWN AFTER SETTING. *TR

AS THE BUS DRIVER PULLED INTO THE BUS GARAGE, HE NOTICED HIS BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ON. I CHECKED THE BRAKE FLUID AND FOUND IT LOW. I APPLIED CONSTANT PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL THEN INSPECTED THE BRAKE SYSTEM. THE BRAKE LINE RUNNING DOWN FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER INSIDE THE FRAME RAIL WAS LEAKING. THIS LINE HAD A HOLE RUBBED IN IT BY THE FUEL LINE COMING FROM THE WATER SEPARATOR. THE FUEL LINE WAS ROUTED ACROSS THE TOP OF THE BRAKE LINE ALLOWING IT TO RUB. AFTER REPAIRING THIS BUS I INSPECTED OUR THREE OTHER C2'S WITH THE SAME CAT ENGINE COMBINATION AND FOUND THE FUEL LINE LAYING ON THE BRAKE LINE IN THE SAME LOCATION. NO CHAFING WAS FOUND ON THESE BUSES. I TIGHTENED THE FITTING ON THE WATER SEPARATOR TO RELOCATE THE FUEL LINE AND USED A WIRE TIE TO SUPPORT IT OFF THE BRAKE LINES. THANKFULLY THIS WAS CAUGHT IN THE BUS GARAGE AND NOT ON A ROUTE WITH STUDENTS ON BOARD. *TR

I RECEIVED A NOTICE (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 10V177) YESTERDAY REGARDING STOPLAMP FAILURE ON THOMAS C2 BUSES. OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR PROBLEM OF INTERMITTENT STOPLAMP OPERATION ON ONE OF OUR 2009 HDX THOMAS BUSES. A RESISTOR (NOT SHOWN ON THOMAS WIRING DIAGRAMS) WAS PLACED IN THE WIRE FROM THE STOPLAMP SWITCH AND WAS DEFECTIVE. *TR