The problem
Certain my 2002-2005 thomas built saf-t-liner er school buses and er transit buses manufactured between november 2002 and february 2005 and equipped with john deere 8.1L compressed natural gas engines models hfn01 and hfn03. The engine control unit and throttle can unexpectedly surge. These units fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 124, Accelerator control systems.
The risk
A sudden engine surge could possibly result in a vehicle crash.
The fix
John deere will notify the customers of freightliner/thomas built and will update the engine control unit software free of charge. Owners may contact john deere at 1-800-jd-engine.
Contacts
Customers may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.Safercar.Gov.
What to do
- Check your VIN. Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls - it shows whether this recall applies to your vehicle and whether the repair has been done.
- Call a dealer. Any authorized Thomas dealer will do the repair free, whether or not you bought the vehicle there. Quote campaign 05V208000.
- Ask about parts and a loaner. If parts aren't available yet, ask what to do in the meantime.
- Keep your paperwork. If you paid for this repair before the recall, you may be able to get reimbursed - here's how.