- 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
2000 Thomas MVP EF Problems, complaints & recalls
No owner complaints about the 2000 Thomas MVP EF have been filed with NHTSA. It is covered by 11 recalls, the latest in March 2007 for the seat belts.
NHTSA data checked
DMore problems than a typical MVP EF year, for its age
- Complaints
- 0
- Recalls
- 11
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Deaths
- 0
2000 Thomas MVP EF recalls 11
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 1998-2003 my freightliner fs-65 school bus chassis and mb-45, mb-55, and xb shuttle bus chassis, and thomas built bus: mvp-er and mvp-ef school bus and non-school bus models equipped with cummins isb diesel engines and equipped with federal-mogal 12 and 24 volt fuel lift pumps. The fuel pump could fail to transfer fuel appropriately creating an engine stall condition.
- The risk
- Should the engine stall while the vehicle is in use, a possible vehicle crash could occur.
- The fix
- Cummins will notify the customers of freightliner and thomas built and replace the fuel lift pump free of charge. Owners may contact cummins at 1-800-diesels.
- The problem
- On certain thomas school buses, the alternator cable can pinch between the air conditioning compressor and engine block.
- The risk
- This can result in damage to wire insulation and potentially cause a short circuit.
- The fix
- Dealers will re-route the cable. Owner notification began july 28, 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 freightliner/thomas built at
- The problem
- On certain school or transit buses with passenger seat belts with retractors, the cover halves for the retractable portion of the belt can separate completely and release the seat belt connector. If this occurs, one of the load bearing pins in the connector could separate from the connector and render the seat belt unusable. In the event of a crash, the seat occupant would not be properly restrained resulting in an injury. The seat belt supplier, amsafe, will provide a snap on "over-cover" to owners to prevent the seat belt cover from separating.
- The risk
- If this occurs, one of the load bearing pins in the connector could separate from the connector and render the seat belt unusable. In the event of a crash, the seat occupant would not be properly restrained resulting in an injury.
- The fix
- Dealers will provide a plastic outer cover that snaps over the existing cover on units in the field and will replace broken seat belts free of charge. 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 336-841-5924 or amsafe at 574-266-8330.
- The problem
- On certain school and transit buses, the wheel lug nut may not tighten completely.
- The risk
- The wheel could loosen increasing the risk of loss of control of the vehicle.
- The fix
- Dealers will install new wheel studs. Owner notification began february 28, 2002. 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.
- The problem
- Vehicle description: certain school buses fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 217, "Bus emergency exits and window retention and release." A third roof hatch must be added to meet the standard requirements. Only vehicles located in the state of washington are involved.
- The risk
- In the event of a crash, the bus occupant may not be able to exit the bus quickly.
- The fix
- Dealers will install a third roof hatch. Owner notification began may 1, 2002. 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.
- The problem
- Vehicle description: school and transit buses equipped with safety belt assemblies produced by am-safe. On some seat belts, the buckle and connector may unlatch during a collision.
- The risk
- Serious injury or death could occur if the vehicle occupant is not properly restrained.
- The fix
- Am-safe notified thomas built's customers to return their vehicle to an authorized dealer to have the seat belts repaired free of charge. Owner notification began september 21, 2000. 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 1-336-889-4871.
- The problem
- Vehicle description: school and transit buses equipped with air brakes and a trw steering gear. The pinch bolt on the pitman arm contacts the exhaust port on the air brake treadle valve during steering maneuvers.
- The risk
- This could result in increased steering effort or an over-steer condition.
- The fix
- Dealers will add a spacer under the brake valve to provide sufficient clearance.
- The problem
- Vehicle description: certain school buses and transit buses equipped with national seating's series 93b-sb driver seat. A bracket attaching the gas spring shock to the height adjuster of the seat can deform and break. This bracket is located at the top of the height adjuster.
- The risk
- If the bracket is not replaced after deforming, and is allowed to break, its breaking will result in a sudden drop of the driver's seat, increasing the risk of loss of control of the vehicle and a crash.
- The fix
- Dealers will replace the seat base and add reinforcement to the seat assembly
- The problem
- Vehicle description: school bus chassis and emergency vehicles built with bendix air abs with an ec-17 1030r electronic control unit (ecu), there have been reports of unwanted abs activation at low speeds caused by 1) chafed abs wheel speed sensor wires on rotating parts or 2) a damaged component at the wheel end that generates a certain type of erratic sensor signal.
- The risk
- This condition could cause the abs ecu to exhaust the air at the air brake modulators for one or more of the wheels. This could result in extended braking distances and a possible crash.
- The fix
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ABS ECU.
- The problem
- Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks and school bus chassis built with bendix air abs with an ec-17 1030r electronic control unit (ecu), there have been reports of unwanted abs activation at low speeds caused by 1) chafed abs wheel speed sensor wires on rotating parts or 2) a damaged component at the wheel end that generates a certain type of erratic sensor signal.
- The risk
- This condition could cause the abs ecu to exhaust the air at the air brake modulators for one or more of the wheels. This could result in extended braking distances and a possible crash.
- The fix
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ABS ECU.
What owners say
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No complaints about the 2000 Thomas MVP EF 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 MVP EF: every year compared
All MVP EF years2000 Thomas MVP EF vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 Thomas MVP EF | 0 | 11 | D | |
| 2000 Thomas Bus | 3 | 0 | F | Compare |
| 2000 Thomas Saf-T-Liner HD | 1 | 2 | - | Compare |
| 2000 Thomas CL100 | 1 | 1 | - | 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 2000 Thomas MVP EF
Does the 2000 Thomas MVP EF have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 11 recalls for the 2000 Thomas MVP EF: seat belts (March 2007); fuel system, diesel (April 2005); alternator / generator / regulator (June 2003); seat belts (October 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 2000 Thomas MVP EF had?
None have been filed with NHTSA so far.
Is the 2000 Thomas MVP EF a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 29 out of 100 (grade D: more problems than a typical Thomas MVP EF 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.
Which Thomas MVP EF years have the most complaints?
1998 (3), 1997 (2), 1996 (1). See every Thomas MVP EF year compared.
What should I do if my 2000 Thomas MVP EF 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