THOMAS Complaints

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE DRIVES A 2003 THOMAS BUILT BUS FOR WALLENPAUPACK SCHOOLS IN PA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER 09/14/05 FOR THE STOP ASSEMBLY WITH CAMPAIGN# 05V347000. THE COMPANY HAS NOT RESOLVED THE RECALL REPLACEMENT, AND HE RECEIVED HIS 2ND NOTICE FROM THE MANUFACTURE 05/16/06, STATING THAT THE MANUFACTURE STILL HAS NO RECORD OF THIS RECALL BEING REPAIRED. THE MOST RECENT LETTER WAS RECEIVED 11/03/06 AND THERE HAS BEEN NO RESOLUTION AS OF YET. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAS CALLED THE ROHRER BUS LINE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND HAS BEEN TOLD BY STEVE PAT WITH # 717-957-4774 THAT HE WILL BE OUT TO TAKE CARE OF THE RECALL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NEITHER MR. PAT NOR THE MANUFACTURE HAVE DONE THEIR PART TO FIXING THIS REPAIR. THE CONTACT WILL SUBMIT MODEL# WHEN HE RECEIVES HIS HARD COPY. THERE HAS BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. *NM

SCHOOL BUS A 2001 THOMAS 77 PASSENGER TRANSIT STYLE WITH A 100 GALLON REAR MOUNTED FUEL TANK DEVELOPED A LEAK NOVEMBER 2006. THE TANK HAD TO BE REPLACED. NEW TANK PURCHASED AND INSTALLED ALSO LEAKED. EARLIER THIS YEAR, ANOTHER SCHOOL BUS A 2000 THOMAS 84 PASSENGER TRANSIT STYLE WITH A REAR MOUNTED 100 GALLON FUEL TANK ALSO DEVELOPED A LEAK AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JB

I HAVE A COMPLAINT ABOUT A PRODUCT OUR STATE USES ON IT'S SCHOOL BUS UNITS. THE STATE BUYS SCHOOL BUS RETREADS (CALLED BEAD TO BEAD RETREADS) THAT COVER UP THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER'S NAME, DOT , LOAD RANGE AND OTHER VITAL INFORMATION. DOES THE TREAD ACT COVER SCHOOL BUS SIZED (11R22.5) TIRES? THE INFORMATION PLACED BACK ON THE CASING DURING THE RE-MANUFACTURING PROCESS DOES NOT MATCH THAT OF THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER. (GOODYEAR) ARE RE-MANUFACTURED TIRES THAT COVER THE SIDEWALL OF THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER LEGAL? WHAT HAPPENS IF THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER HAS A RECALL, HOW WOULD WE GET THE CORRECT TIRES OFF THE SCHOOL BUS UNITS THAT CARRY OUR CHILDREN? THANKS. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE INSPECTING THE VEHICLE IT WAS DETERMINED THE LEFT FRONT AIR BRAKE CHAMBER MOUNT CAM ASSEMBLY FRACTURED. THIS OCCURRED ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND BOTH FRONT AIR BRAKE CHAMBER MOUNTS WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER OF THE AIR BRAKE CHAMBER IS EATON - ROCKWELL CORPORATION AND THIS WAS ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER EQUIPMENT.

I WRITING IN RESPONSE TO A SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED BY FREIGHTLINER CUSTOM CHASSIS, SB 54-26. THIS SERVICE BULLETIN COVERS AN ISSUE WITH THE TURN SIGNAL CANCELLATION RING ON A 2005 MODEL THOMAS SCHOOL BUS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS INCORRECTLY INSTALLED THE PART WHICH CANCELS THE TURN SIGNAL AFTER A TURN IS COMPLETED. DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS PART WAS INCORRECTLY INSTALLED, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE AT TIMES TO SIGNAL WHEN MAKING A TURN, AS IS INDICATED IN THEIR SERVICE BULLETIN. I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET ANY INFORMATION ON THIS DEFECT UNTIL MY 19 SCHOOL BUSES WERE OUT OF THEIR WARRANTY PERIOD. I BELIEVE THIS SERVICE BULLETIN SHOULD BE UPGRADED TO A RECALL DUE TO THE SAFETY FACTOR INVOLVED. NO ONE HAS BEEN INJURED AS A RESULT OF THIS DEFECT, BUT I FEEL THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE CORRECTED AND THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD TAKE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR NEGLIGENCE BEFORE AN ACCIDENT RESULTS FROM IT. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE IS A BUILD UP OF ROAD SALT CORROSION ON THE FUEL TANK. THE CORROSION CAUSED A LEAK IN THE FUEL TANK. THE LEAK WAS DISCOVERED DURING A ROUTINE INSPECTION. THE FUEL TANK WAS CLEANED AND THE HOLE WAS PATCHED BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RETURNED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE IS A BUILD UP OF ROAD SALT CORROSION ON THE FUEL TANK. THE CORROSION CAUSED A LEAK IN THE FUEL TANK. THE LEAK WAS DISCOVERED DURING A ROUTINE INSPECTION. THE FUEL TANK WAS CLEANED AND THE HOLE WAS PATCHED BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RETURNED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE IS A BUILD UP OF ROAD SALT CORROSION ON THE FUEL TANK. THE CORROSION CAUSED A LEAK IN THE FUEL TANK. THE LEAK WAS DISCOVERED DURING A ROUTINE INSPECTION. THE FUEL TANK WAS CLEANED AND THE HOLE WAS PATCHED BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RETURNED.

DT: THE CONTACT STATES THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT ON 8/9/05 INVOLVING AN SUV AND A THOMAS BUILT TYPE C WHEEL CHAIR BUS. THE DRIVER OF THE SUV CROSSED THE CENTER LINE AND HIT THE BUS HEAD ON. THE ESTIMATED SPEED OF THE SUV WAS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. UPON IMPACT THE SERVICE DOOR OPENED AND ONE OF THE BUS OCCUPANTS WAS EJECTED. TWO PERSONS IN THE BUS WERE INJURED AND THE DRIVER OF THE SUV WAS KILLED. BOTH VEHICLES WERE TOTALED AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THE DOOR WAS LATCHED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. UPON INSPECTION THERE WAS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE LATCH. THE BUS MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED TO INSPECT THE SERVICE DOOR OF THE BUS. HOWEVER, THERE HAS BEEN NO RESPONSE FROM THE MANUFACTURER AT THIS TIME. *JB UPDATED 2/7/2006 - *NM

THE PROBLEM WE ARE EXPERIENCING IS THAT WE ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO HAVE A DEVICE THAT HOLDS THE EMERGENCY EXIT DOOR OPEN, THE DEVICE THAT THE O.E.M. SUPPLIES IS A CONSIDERABLE SAFETY HAZARD. THIS SLIDE DEVICE IS SO INCONSISTENT IN ITS OPERATION THAT IS BECOMING A SAFETY CONCERN WITH MANY DISTRICTS IN THE STATE OF IDAHO. I BELIEVE THAT YOUR ORGANIZATION SHOULD BE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. IT COULD SERIOUSLY AFFECT THE EVACUATION OF SCHOOL BUS IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS DEVICE THAT ALL O.E.M.S ARE USING SO IT IS NOT SPECIFIC TO JUST ONE MANUFACTURER. *JB