Vehicle recall 16V407000 · June 7, 2016

Thomas SAF-T-Liner Conventional, Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner ER and 5 more models

In the affected vehicles, the stem that connects the outside emergency door handle to the emergency door opening mechanism may corrode.

Source: NHTSA data as of September 22, 2026. Last refreshed Sep 23, 2026, 2:43 AM UTC.

Summary: Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain model year 1998-2002 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Conventional, 2000-2002 Saf-T-Liner ER, 2000-2002 Saf-T-Liner MVP-EF, 2000-2001 CL-960, 1998-1999 Vista, 2000-2002 Saf-T-Liner MVP-ER, and 2000-2002 TL-960 transit buses. In the affected vehicles, the stem that connects the outside emergency door handle to the emergency door opening mechanism may corrode.
Consequence: If the stem corrodes, the door handle could detach from the emergency door opening mechanism, delaying the opening of the door and the evacuation of the bus. In the event of an emergency, this may increase the risk of injury to the bus occupants.
Remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will either replace the stems or protect them against corrosion, free of charge. An interim notice was sent to owners on July 28, 2016. A second notice was mailed to owners on December 9, 2016 Parts are available. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-713.
Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Recall details

NHTSA campaign: 16V407000
Reported to NHTSA: June 7, 2016
Filed by: Daimler Trucks North America LLC
Manufacturer campaign: FL-713
Owner notification: December 9, 2016
Vehicles potentially affected: 717
Initiated by: the manufacturer
Components: Structure › Body › Door

Recall 16V407000 on nhtsa.gov, with the manufacturer’s documents

Vehicles covered

As listed by NHTSA. A recall usually covers only some vehicles of each model and year, often a production date range.

Thomas SAF-T-Liner Conventional (1998-2002): 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998
Thomas Built Buses CL-960 (2000-2001): 2001, 2000
Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner ER (2000-2002): 2002, 2001, 2000
Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner MVP-EF (2000-2002): 2002, 2001, 2000
Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner MVP-ER (2000-2002): 2002, 2001, 2000
Thomas Built Buses TL-960 (2000-2002): 2002, 2001, 2000
Thomas Built Buses Vista (1998-1999): 1999, 1998

Has your Thomas been repaired?

Recalls here come from NHTSA’s records for the model and year. Not every vehicle of a model is included in every recall, and this site can’t see whether a repair has been done. Only a VIN lookup can tell you that.

Check your VIN with NHTSA

NHTSA’s VIN search doesn’t show recalls that were already repaired, recalls more than 15 years old, or some small manufacturers’ recalls. A Thomas dealer can also check your VIN. Recall repairs are free.