Campaign 26V-388

Front and mid-body interior joints may have been manufactured incorrectly, resulting in insufficient joint strength

Defect summary

Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2027 Thomas Built SAF-T-LINER HDX2 school buses. Front and mid-body interior joints may have been manufactured incorrectly, resulting in insufficient joint strength. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 221, "School Bus Body Joint Strength."

Consequence

A school bus with insufficient joint strength may not adequately protect passengers in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy

Dealers will add fasteners to secure the joints, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, are expected to be mailed July 2, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in August 2026. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-574-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is F1034.

Source: NHTSA ODI recalls file, campaign 26V388000. Text as published by NHTSA.

Vehicles covered

One product line is covered

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA about structure on these vehicles: 0, of which 0 involved a crash, fire, injury or death. Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.

Vehicles covered by campaign 26V-388
Make	Model	Model years	Complaints on this component
Thomas Built Buses	Saf-T-Liner HDX2	2027	0

Source: NHTSA ODI recalls and complaints files. Equipment, tire and child-seat campaigns list products, not vehicles.

Investigation

No NHTSA investigation is linked to this recall

Most recalls are started by the manufacturer. This one lists "Manufacturer" as its origin.

Before the recall

No service bulletins on this component preceded the recall

Distinct manufacturer communications on the same component group, make, model and model year in the 24 months before the report date.

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications file.

Service bulletins

25V-694 Oct 10, 2025
Rear exterior joints may have been manufactured incorrectly, resulting in insufficient joint strength
24V-478 Jun 26, 2024
Audible emergency warning alarm sounds may not activate when the emergency hatch or window is open
23V-843 Dec 13, 2023
Rear interior joint between the bulkhead and window panel may have been manufactured incorrectly, resulting in insufficient joint strength
23V-670 Oct 3, 2023
Fasteners for the emergency exit door may loosen and detach, which can allow the emergency exit door to open unexpectedly
23V-669 Oct 3, 2023
Fasteners for the emergency exit door may loosen and detach, which can allow the emergency exit door to open unexpectedly
23V-333 May 9, 2023
Rear interior joint may have been manufactured incorrectly, resulting in insufficient joint strength