THOMAS Complaints

ANNUAL INSPECTION REVEALED BROKEN ROOF BOWS ON TWO SEPERATE SCHOOL BUSSES. THE THOMAS DEALER HAS AVALIABLE A REPAIR PART AND PROCEDURE, A STIFFENER IS WELDED IN THE BOW AT THE WINDOW HEADER.

LED LIGHT STARTED SMOKING AND BURNED UP EMITTING SMOKE INSIDE THE BUS. THIS WAS THE SECOND INCIDENT WITH THIS TYPE OF LIGHT. *TR

AFTER PICKING UP A BUS LOAD OF STUDENTS FROM THE SCHOOL THE BUS DRIVER NOTICED A BURNING SMELL ON HIS BUS. DRIVER PULLED HIS BUS INTO A PARKING LOT AND THE BUS STARTED SMOKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE SIDE SWITCH PANEL. AFTER THE STUDENTS EXITED THE BUS THE PLASTIC DASH STARTED TO BURN WHICH RESULTED IN A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DAMAGE. IT APPEARS THE FIRE STARTED FROM THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS ON THE BODY SOLENOID. *TR

AFTER START-UP WHEN VEHICLE WAS IDLING FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES STARTED SMOKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE DASH PANEL. IT WAS APPROXIMATELY MINUTES 10 LATER WHEN THE FIRE WAS FIRST NOTICED; TIME LINE IS THE BEST WE CAN DETERMINE FROM VIDEO FOOTAGE. FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED 10 MINUTES LATE AND THE BUS WAS CONSUMED BY FLAMES. THE BUS WAS DESTROYED BEYOND REPAIR. *TR

2001 MVP-ER-140 HS SCHOOL BUS COMPLAINT DUE TO A DEFECT. CONSUMER STATES THAT SCHOOL BUS MODEL LISTED ABOVE CAUGHT FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *KB AN ACCIDENT INVESTIGATOR DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE STARTED WHEN PRESSURIZED TRANSMISSION FLUID SPRAYED FROM THE TRANSMISSION THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE TRANSMISSION VENT TUBE HAD BEEN CRUSHED BY THE WEIGHT OF THE CROSSOVER EXHAUST PIPE, WHICH WAS NORMALLY POSITIONED TWO INCHES ABOVE THE VENT. OVER TIME, THE BRACKETS THAT HOLD THE CROSSOVER PIPE BECAME LOOSE, ALLOWING THE PIPE TO FALL DOWN AND MAKE CONTACT WITH THE TRANSMISSION VENT. ONCE THE VENT WAS CLOSED, PRESSURE BUILT UP IN THE TRANSMISSION, AND ITS FLUID WAS EXPELLED FROM THE DIPSTICK TUBE. THE INVESTIGATOR'S FINDINGS CONCLUDED THE FIRE WAS THE RESULT OF THE NEGLIGENT DESIGN OF THE CROSSOVER EXHAUST PIPE, SPECIFICALLY THE NUMBER, LOCATION AND OR TYPE OF BRACKETS USED TO HOLD THE PIPE IN PLACE. GIVEN THE RISK PRESENTED BY CLOSURE OF THE TRANSMISSION VENT, IT WAS IMPERATIVE THAT THE PIPE BE INSTALLED SO THAT ITS POSITION RELATIVE TO THE TRANSMISSION VENT WOULD NOT SHIFT OVER TIME. *JB

FRAME RAIL AND CROSSMEMBER BREAKAGE IN REAR AXLE AREA ON FREIGHTLINER/THOMAS BUILT SCHOOL BUSES. *JB

PRE-2005 THOMAS 84 PASSENGER EF SCHOOL BUSES, WITH CAT C7 ENGINES/MD-3060 TRANSMISSIONS. FAILURE OF RIGHT/REAR ENGINE MOUNT CAUSES ENGINE TO REST IN RIGHT FRAME RAIL, SUPPORTED BY ALTERNATOR, WITH ENGINE FAN COMING IN CONTACT WITH RADIATOR SCHROUD. POST-2005 BUSES CAME WITH A REINFORCED MOUNT (REF: THOMAS CHASSIS INDEX'22, BULLETIN11R). FORMAL REQUEST HAS BEEN MADE TO THOMAS (VIA AUTO SAFETY HOUSE) TO REPLACE ALL AFFECTED UNITS WITH UPGRADED PARTS. *JB

PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD OVERHEATS AND CATCHES FIRE. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED BEFORE AND WE HAVE HAD A 50% FAILURE RATE ON THIS MODEL BUS. THIS PART IS COVERED UNDER RECALL 06V-136 BUT DOES NOT COVER THE MANUFACTURE DATE OF THIS BUS. *NM

PRINTED CIRCUIT PANEL LOCATED UNDER SIDE PANEL OF BUS OVERHEATED AND HAD A SMALL FIRE. THIS PROBLEM IS COVERED UNDER RECALL 06V-136 BUT DOES COVER THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. IT APPEARS THAT THIS RECALL NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED TO COVER MORE VEHICLES, WE HAVE HAD A 50% FAILURE RATE OF THIS PARTICULAR COMPONENT. *NM

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE 2004 THOMAS BUILT SCHOOL BUS' COWL SEPARATED FROM THE BODY OF THE BUS. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, AND WAS DENIED THE REPAIRS BECAUSE THE SCHOOL WAS SUPPOSED TO TIGHTEN ALL THE COWL MOUNTING BOLTS EVERY 6 MONTHS. THE CONTACT CALLED THE PONDER EQUIPMENT DEALERSHIP, AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY NEVER HEARD THAT THIS TYPE OF MAINTENANCE WOULD BE NEEDED FOR THE COWL MOUNTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT DUE TO THIS PROBLEM THE ENTIRE FRONT END COULD DETACH FROM THE BUS. *AK