- The problem
- Certain my 1994 through 2002 thomas built minotour, fs-65, mvp-ef, er, and hdx-ef school buses manufactured between january 23, 1994, and april 15, 2002. The seat belt may chafe on the edge of a metal bracket and wear prematurely.
- The risk
- In the event of a vehicle crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained, possibly resulting in personal injury.
- The fix
- Thomas built will notify owners and replace any chafed seat belts and replace or modify the retainer strip to prevent any further chafing. The recall began on february 8, 2008. Owners may contact thomas built at 336-889-4871 or contact freightliner at 800-547-0712.
Vehicle safety record
2002 Thomas Minotour Problems, complaints & recalls
No owner complaints about the 2002 Thomas Minotour have been filed with NHTSA. It is covered by 5 recalls, the latest in March 2007 for the seat belts.
NHTSA data checked
DMore problems than a typical Minotour year, for its age
- Complaints
- 0
- Recalls
- 5
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Deaths
- 0
2002 Thomas Minotour recalls 5
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- Certain 2002-2005 my thomas built minotour, conventional, mvp-er, er, hdx, and mvp-ef model school buses manufactured between january 8, 2002, and march 8, 2005, equipped with specialty mfg "5" series stop arms originally sold in or currently registered in states other than the following states: alaska, colorado, connecticut, delaware, idaho, illinois, indiana, iowa, kansas, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, montana, nebraska, nevada, new hampshire, new jersey, new mexico, new york, north dakota, ohio, oregon, pennsylvania, rhode island, south dakota, tennessee, utah, vermont, virginia, washington, west virginia, wisconsin, wyoming, and the district of columbia. In extremely cold weather, the microswitches used internally to position the stop arm sign in the open and closed positions may malfunction, causing the sign to open or close in an improper position, or to not open at all.
- The risk
- Should the stop arm not perform properly, a child or pedestrian may be endangered by passing vehicles should the motorist not stop at the correct location.
- The fix
- For those buses operated in or near any of the states listed above, thomas built is encouraging the bus owners to obtain the replacement switch. For those buses operated in the warmer states, dealers will replace the switch upon owner request. For those customers who request the remedy, thomas built will replace the original switch with a switch pack that is not sensitive to extreme cold weather and will inspect to ensure the microswitch heater wiring is properly connected. The recall began on september 14, 2005. Owners may contact thomas built's customer support office at 336-889-4871.
- The problem
- Certain 2002-2005 my thomas built minotour, conventional, mvp-er, er, hdx, and mvp-ef model school buses manufactured between january 8, 2002, and march 8, 2005, equipped with specialty mfg "5" series stop arms originally sold in or currently registered in the following states: alaska, colorado, connecticut, delaware, idaho, illinois, indiana, iowa, kansas, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, montana, nebraska, nevada, new hampshire, new jersey, new mexico, new york, north dakota, ohio, oregon, pennsylvania, rhode island, south dakota, tennessee, utah, vermont, virginia, washington, west virginia, wisconsin, wyoming, and the district of columbia. In extremely cold weather, the microswitches used internally to position the stop arm sign in the open and closed positions may malfunction, causing the sign to open or close in an improper position, or to not open at all.
- The risk
- Should the stop arm not perform properly, a child or pedestrian may be endangered by passing vehicles should the motorist not stop at the correct location.
- The fix
- Thomas built will notify its owners and replace the original switch with a switch pack that is not sensitive to extreme cold weather and will inspect to ensure the microswitch heater wiring is properly connected free of charge. The recall began on september 14, 2005. Owners may contact thomas built's customer support office at 336-889-4871.
- The problem
- On certain trucks equipped with caterpillar 3126e hydraulically controlled electronically actuated unit injected diesel engines with high efficiency pumps (hep8), the pump components may experience a high pressure seal failure which can result in a short period of rough running and subsequent engine stall due to a loss of injection actuation pressure.
- The risk
- Freightliner recall no. Fl404. Once engine stall occurs, the engine cannot be restarted, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Caterpillar is conducting the owner notification and remedy for this campaign. Dealers will inspect the pump serial numbers and replace the pump if necessary. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact caterpillar at 1-800-447-4986 or freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
- The problem
- Certain school and transit buses fail to comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 210, "Seat belt assembly anchorages." The seat belt anchorages will only hold 4,400 lbs. In lieu of the required 5000 lb.
- The risk
- In the event of a crash, a seat occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of injury.
- The fix
- Dealers will add a fastener to the track mounted seat. Owner notification began april 21, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact thomas built at 336-889-4871.
What owners say
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No complaints about the 2002 Thomas Minotour yet
No owner has filed a complaint about this vehicle with NHTSA. If yours has a problem, share it here and report it to NHTSA.
Thomas Minotour: every year compared
All Minotour years2002 Thomas Minotour vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 Thomas Minotour | 0 | 5 | D | |
| 2002 Thomas Saf-T-Liner | 2 | 0 | A | Compare |
| 2002 Thomas School Bus | 2 | 0 | B | Compare |
| 2002 Thomas Bus | 1 | 0 | A | Compare |
| 2002 Thomas Conventional | 1 | 2 | D | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2002 Thomas Minotour
Does the 2002 Thomas Minotour have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2002 Thomas Minotour: seat belts (March 2007); school bus stop arm assembly (August 2005); school bus stop arm assembly (July 2005); fuel pump (December 2002) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
How many complaints has the 2002 Thomas Minotour had?
None have been filed with NHTSA so far.
Is the 2002 Thomas Minotour a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 32 out of 100 (grade D: more problems than a typical Thomas Minotour year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
What should I do if my 2002 Thomas Minotour has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data