- The problem
- Daimler trucks is recalling 243,435 my 1995-2008 thomas built school buses manufactured between january 1994, and march 10, 2008. (Additional buses have been added to this recall campaign. Please see supplemental report no. 4) The emergency exit door handle begins corroding around the securing roll pin and square drive mechanism causing the protective finish to chip and flake. Continued corrosion and pitting weakens the handle. Handles weakened by corrosion may break while trying to open the door from the exterior.
- The risk
- In the event of an emergency, a person on the outside of the bus may break the door handle trying to open the emergency exit potentially delaying evacuation and increasing the risk of personal injury to the vehicle's occupants.
- The fix
- Daimler trucks will notify owners and will replace the handles with a more robust handle free of charge. Repairs will be performed by thomas built buses dealerships. The recall began on august 18, 2008, and notification for the revised population is expected to begin on or about april 29, 2009. Owners may contact thomas built at 336-889-4871.
Vehicle safety record
2001 Thomas MVP EF Problems, complaints & recalls
No owner complaints about the 2001 Thomas MVP EF have been filed with NHTSA. It is covered by 10 recalls, the latest in February 2008 for the hinge and attachments.
NHTSA data checked
DMore problems than a typical MVP EF year, for its age
- Complaints
- 0
- Recalls
- 10
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Deaths
- 0
2001 Thomas MVP EF recalls 10
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 2001 through 2008 thomas built fs-56, er, mvp er, hdx, and mvp ef school buses manufactured from october 23, 2000, through january 24, 2006, equipped with tyco pc board and type ii auto reset circuit breakers. Type ii auto reset circuit breaker temperatures may exceed the rating of the tyco pc board causing the boards to melt potentially resulting in a vehicle fire.
- The risk
- A vehicle fire can occur possibly resulting in a crash.
- The fix
- Thomas built will notify owners and repair the buses by replacing the type ii auto reset circuit breakers with manual circuit breakers, and the jumper cable. The recall began on march 28, 2008. Owners may contact thomas built customer support office at 336-889-4871.
- 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.
- 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
- Certain 2001-2004 my thomas built mvp-ef, er transit, mvp-er, hd, and hdx school buses manufactured between september 24, 2000, and march 4, 2004. The tie rod assembly can fracture and fail, possibly resulting in complete separation.
- The risk
- Tie rod failure can possibly result in complete wheel separation and a vehicle crash could occur.
- The fix
- Thomas built will notify its customers and will replace the tie rod assembly free of charge. The recall began september 6, 2005. Owners may contact thomas built at (we do not yet have a telephone number).
- 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: certain school buses equipped with syntec seats fail to conform to the requirements of fmvss no. 222, "School bus passenger seating and crash protection." Some seats (1) fail to meet the required four inch clearance during the test procedure, while still meeting the post test condition; (2) fail to meet the required frontal pre-load when testing under certain conditions; or (3) while still meeting the required force/defection, experience weld breakage.
- The risk
- In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly protected.
- The fix
- Dealers will replace the seat frame and the seat back cushion on these vehicles. Owner notification began november 13, 2001. 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 2001 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 years2001 Thomas MVP EF vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Thomas MVP EF | 0 | 10 | D | |
| 2001 Thomas Bus | 2 | 0 | A | Compare |
| 2001 Thomas Conventional | 1 | 4 | F | Compare |
| 2001 Thomas MVP ER | 1 | 12 | F | Compare |
| 2001 Thomas Saf-T-Liner | 1 | 2 | C | Compare |
| 2001 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 2001 Thomas MVP EF
Does the 2001 Thomas MVP EF have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 10 recalls for the 2001 Thomas MVP EF: hinge and attachments (February 2008); fuses and circuit breakers (November 2007); seat belts (March 2007); fuel system, diesel (April 2005) 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 2001 Thomas MVP EF had?
None have been filed with NHTSA so far.
Is the 2001 Thomas MVP EF a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 32 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 2001 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