- The problem
- Daimler trucks is recalling 3,773 my 1996 through 2002 thomas built mvp er school buses manufactured from june 8, 1995 through february 16, 2001, equipped with caterpillar 3116 and 3126 engines. Un-fused power cables were tie-wrapped to a wire braid engine fuel return hose. Over time these cables may chafe, wearing through the wire loom and eventually through the cable insulation and fuel line covering in an area not easily detectable during normal maintenance without removing the tie wraps and opening the wire loom. Un-fused and un-switched power cables which wear through and contact the fuel line wire braid may short circuit.
- The risk
- In the event of a short circuit, a vehicle fire can occur.
- The fix
- Thomas built will notify owners and inspect and replace the cables as necessary free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or about november 28, 2008. Owners may contact thomas built at 1-336-889-4871.
Vehicle safety record
2001 Thomas MVP ER Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 1 complaint about the 2001 Thomas MVP ER with NHTSA, most often about the engine & cooling (1). Those complaints describe 1 fire. It is covered by 12 recalls, the latest in July 2008 for the engine and engine cooling. For comparison, the 2000 has 0 and the 2002 has 0.
NHTSA data checked
FFar more problems than a typical MVP ER year, for its age
#442 most complained-about 2001 vehicle
- Complaints
- 1
- Recalls
- 12
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 0
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2001 Thomas MVP ER problems
Share of all 1 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2001 Thomas MVP ER recalls 12
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
- 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.
- 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 2000 through 2003 thomas built hdx and mvp-er school buses manufactured between april 23, 2000, and november 14, 2003. The service air brake pedal, for both non-adjustable and adjustable brake pedals, may contact the front structure on the bus, limiting the maximum brake force available.
- The risk
- Insufficient air brake pressure may cause extended stopping distances without prior warning, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
- The fix
- Thomas built will notify owners and repair the affected buses free of charge. The recall began on september 14, 2007. Owners can 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 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
- On certain school buses, misalignment of the fan drive system components can cause premature belt and pulley bearing wear.
- The risk
- If the school bus is disabled by a cooling system failure and is stalled on the side of the road, an increased risk of a crash resulting in injury to a school bus occupant could occur.
- The fix
- Dealers will replace the fan belt, idler pulley, and belt tensioner and the pulley's laser will be aligned. Owner notification began june 10, 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 freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
- The problem
- Vehicle description: medium duty trucks, fire trucks, and transit buses and school buses equipped with electronic throttle control/accelerator pedals supplied by williams controls industries. The weld attaching the clevis to the plate has insufficient penetration and could allow the clevis to separate from the plate.
- The risk
- If the clevis separated from the plate while the vehicle was in use, the vehicle would return to idle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Dealers will replace these pedals. Owner notification began march 18, 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 freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
- 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.
- The problem
- Vehicle description: certain school buses fail to comply with requirements of fmvss no. 121, "Air brake systems." These vehicles do not comply due to the low air warning system detecting pressure in only one reservoir system and not both as required.
- The risk
- THIS DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARD.
- The fix
- Dealers will correct the low air pressure switch wiring. Owner notification began july 27, 2001. Owner notification is expected to begin 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 336-881-7219.
What owners say
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1 complaints about the 2001 Thomas MVP ER
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners.
2001 Mvp-er-140 hs school bus complaint due to a defect. Consumer states that school bus model listed above caught fire in the engine compartment. *Kb an accident investigator determined that the fire started when pressurized transmission fluid sprayed from the transmission throughout the engine compartment. The transmission vent tube had been crushed by the weight of the crossover exhaust pipe, which was normally positioned two inches above the vent. Over time, the brackets that hold the crossover pipe became...
Read the full complaint
loose, allowing the pipe to fall down and make contact with the transmission vent. Once the vent was closed, pressure built up in the transmission, and its fluid was expelled from the dipstick tube. The investigator's findings concluded the fire was the result of the negligent design of the crossover exhaust pipe, specifically the number, location and or type of brackets used to hold the pipe in place. Given the risk presented by closure of the transmission vent, it was imperative that the pipe be installed so that its position relative to the transmission vent would not shift over time. *Jb
Thomas MVP ER: every year compared
All MVP ER years2001 Thomas MVP ER vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Thomas MVP ER | 1 | 12 | F | |
| 2001 Thomas Bus | 2 | 0 | A | Compare |
| 2001 Thomas Conventional | 1 | 4 | 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 ER
Does the 2001 Thomas MVP ER have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 12 recalls for the 2001 Thomas MVP ER: engine and engine cooling (July 2008); hinge and attachments (February 2008); fuses and circuit breakers (November 2007); service brakes, air (March 2007) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Thomas MVP ER?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the engine & cooling (1).
How many complaints has the 2001 Thomas MVP ER had?
1 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on October 23, 2007 and the latest on October 23, 2007. Of these, 0 describe a crash and 1 a fire, and together they report 0 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2001 Thomas MVP ER a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 24 out of 100 (grade F: far more problems than a typical Thomas MVP ER 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 2001 Thomas MVP ER 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