2022 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX School Buses FL-902 Fan Belt Loose

SEOCONTENT-STARTDefect Information Report
(Section 573.6)
FL-902
Date of Submission: September 15, 2021
Manufacturer: Daimler Trucks North America LLC
P.O. BOX 3849
Portland, Oregon 97208
Type of Report: X Safety Defect ⃝ Non-Compliance
Vehicle Information
Model Yr. Start: 2022 Model Yr. End: 2022
Make: Thomas Built Buses
Model: Saf-T-Liner HDX
Production Dates: Begin: 10/26/2020 End: 06/10/2021
Descriptive Information: Certain school buses equipped with an L9 engine and manufactured 10/26/2020 and 06/10/2021.
Number potentially involved: 50 Estimated percentage of involve with defect: 50%
Defect / Noncompliance Description
For this Defect/Noncompliance:
Describe the defect or noncompliance:
On the affected vehicles, the fan drive pulley assembly bolts may be incorrect or have been improperly installed. Incorrect bolts or improperly installed bolts may lead to a loose fan belt and eventually a disabled school bus.
Describe the safety risk:
A disabled school bus evacuation procedure in an uncontrolled traffic situation, may increase the risk of injury.
Identify any warning which can precede or occur:
If applicable, identify the manufacture of the defective or noncompliant component.: N/A
Involved Components
Component Name: Mounting Bolt
Component Description: Screw-Cap, Hex M10x35 10.9 ZN
Component Part Number: 61370886
Chronology of Defect / Noncompliance Determination
Provide the chronology of events leading up to the defect decision or test data for the noncompliance decision.:
At the end of May 2021, DTNA received a notification from a drive-away company that some of the fan drive pulley assembly mounting bolts sheared off. The bus was parked and idling when the driver heard a noise and turned off the engine. The driver opened the engine cover and found that the fan drive pulley had shifted and the fan belt lost tension. DTNA arranged to have the bus brought to a dealership for service and requested that the dealer identify the grade of bolts used. DTNA then requested the drive-away company identify the grade of bolts present of other buses they were delivering. DTNA immediately began in investigation to determine the scope of the issue. In or around June through August 2021 DTNA undertook a detailed review of warranty and field reports. Two addition instances were identified related to the fan drive mounting bolts. In total 8 buses were identified with potential issues related to the fan drive pulley assembly mounting bolts. There were no occurrences that led to a disabled bus while it was in operation. On September 10, 2021, DTNA with an abundance of caution, decided to conduct a voluntary recall campaign on certain Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses that may have improper or improperly installed fan drive pulley assembly mounting fasteners.
Identify the Remedy
Describe the defect/noncompliance remedy program, including the manufacture’s plan for reimbursement.
The fan drive pulley assembly mounting fasteners will be inspected and repaired as necessary. Repairs will be performed by Daimler Trucks North America authorized service facilities. Details of the reimbursement plan will be included in the owner’s notification letter.
Identify the Recall Schedule
Describe the recall schedule for notifications.:
Customer notification will be made by first class mail using Daimler Trucks North America records to determine the customers affected.
Planned Dealer Notification Begin Date: 11/8/2021
Planned Dealer Notification End Date: 11/8/2021
Planned Owner Notification Begin Date: 11/8/2021
Planned Owner Notification End Date: 11/8/2021
Manufacture’s identification code for this recall (if applicable): FL-902
DTNA Representative;
Larissa Stoffels
Executive Manager, Vehicle Safety
Compliance and Regulatory Affairs
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Defect Information Report
(Section 573.6)
FL-902
Date of Submission: September 15, 2021
Manufacturer: Daimler Trucks North America LLC
P.O. BOX 3849
Portland, Oregon 97208
Type of Report: X Safety Defect ⃝ Non-Compliance
Vehicle Information
Model Yr. Start: 2022 Model Yr. End: 2022
Make: Thomas Built Buses
Model: Saf-T-Liner HDX
Production Dates: Begin: 10/26/2020 End: 06/10/2021
Descriptive Information: Certain school buses equipped with an L9 engine and manufactured
10/26/2020 and 06/10/2021.
Number potentially involved: 50 Estimated percentage of involve with defect: 50%
Defect / Noncompliance Description
For this Defect/Noncompliance:
Describe the defect or noncompliance:
On the affected vehicles, the fan drive pulley assembly bolts may be incorrect or have been improperly installed. Incorrect bolts or improperly installed bolts may lead to a loose fan belt and eventually a disabled school bus.
Describe the safety risk:
A disabled school bus evacuation procedure in an uncontrolled traffic situation, may increase the risk of injury.
Identify any warning which can precede or occur:
If applicable, identify the manufacture of the defective or noncompliant component.: N/A
Involved Components
Component Name: Mounting Bolt
Component Description: Screw-Cap, Hex M10x35 10.9 ZN
Component Part Number: 61370886
Chronology of Defect / Noncompliance Determination
Provide the chronology of events leading up to the defect decision or test data for the noncompliance decision.:
At the end of May 2021, DTNA received a notification from a drive-away company that some of the fan drive pulley assembly mounting bolts sheared off. The bus was parked and idling when the driver heard a noise and turned off the engine. The driver opened the engine cover and found that the fan drive pulley had shifted and the fan belt lost tension. DTNA arranged to have the bus brought to a dealership for service and requested that the dealer identify the grade of bolts used. DTNA then requested the drive-away company identify the grade of bolts present of other buses they were delivering. DTNA immediately began in investigation to determine the scope of the issue. In or around June through August 2021 DTNA undertook a detailed review of warranty and field reports. Two addition instances were identified related to the fan drive mounting bolts. In total 8 buses were identified with potential issues related to the fan drive pulley assembly mounting bolts. There were no occurrences that led to a disabled bus while it was in operation. On September 10, 2021, DTNA with an abundance of caution, decided to conduct a voluntary recall campaign on certain Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses that may have improper or improperly installed fan drive pulley assembly mounting fasteners. DTNA conducted Field Inspections between April 7, 2021 and May 26, 2021 on eight busses. The inspection discovered three busses with sheared hardware and two additional busses had the wrong hardware installed. Warranty claims were subsequently filed for four of these units. There are no
reported injuries or deaths related to this issue.
Identify the Remedy
Describe the defect/noncompliance remedy program, including the manufacture’s plan for reimbursement.
The fan drive pulley assembly mounting fasteners will be inspected and repaired as necessary. Repairs will be performed by Daimler Trucks North America authorized service facilities. Details of the reimbursement plan will be included in the owner’s notification letter.
Identify the Recall Schedule
Describe the recall schedule for notifications.:
Customer notification will be made by first class mail using Daimler Trucks North America records to determine the customers affected.
Planned Dealer Notification Begin Date: 11/8/2021
Planned Dealer Notification End Date: 11/8/2021
Planned Owner Notification Begin Date: 11/8/2021
Planned Owner Notification End Date: 11/8/2021
Manufacture’s identification code for this recall (if applicable): FL-902
DTNA Representative;
Larissa Stoffels
Executive Manager, Vehicle Safety
Compliance and Regulatory Affairs
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Daimler Trucks
North America LLC
November 2021
FL902
NHTSA #21V-714 (School Bus)
IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL
See enclosed VIN list
Subject: TBB Fan Drive Bolts
This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA), on behalf of its wholly owned subsidiary Thomas Built Buses, has decided that a defect that relates to motor vehicle safety exists on specific model year 2021, Thomas Built Saf-T-Liners HDX school buses manufactured October 26, 2020, through June 10, 2021.
On certain Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses, the fan hub pulley bolts may become loose or missing which may lead to the serpentine belt coming off leading to an eventual engine overheat, and shutdown causing a disabled school bus. A disabled school bus evacuation procedure in an uncontrolled traffic situation may increase the risk of injury.
The fan hub pulley bolts will be replaced. Repairs will be performed by Daimler Trucks North America authorized service facilities. This repair will take approximately one hour and will be done at no cost to the owner.
Please contact an authorized Daimler Trucks North America dealer to arrange to have the Recall performed and to ensure that parts are available at the dealership. To locate an authorized dealer, search online at
Daimler-TrucksNorthAmerica.com/Contact-us. Scroll down to “Locate a Dealer” and select the appropriate brand. The Recall will take approximately one hour and will be performed at no charge to you. You may also confirm your vehicle’s involvement in this recall at this URL: https://dtna-dlrinfo.prd.freightliner.com:48518/VinLookup/vin-module/getVinLookupPage.
You may be liable for any progressive damage that results from your failure to complete the Recall within a reasonable time after receiving notification.
If you do not own the vehicle that corresponds to the identification number(s) which appears on the Recall Notification, please return the notification to the Warranty Campaigns Department with any information you can furnish that will assist us in locating the present owner. If you have leased this vehicle, Federal law requires that you forward this notice to the lessee within 10 days. If you are a subsequent stage manufacturer, Federal law requires that you forward this notice to your distributors and retail outlets within five working days. If you have paid to have this recall condition corrected prior to this notice, you may be eligible to receive reimbursement. Please see the reverse side of this notice for details.
If you have questions about this Recall, please contact the Warranty Campaigns Department at (800) 547-0712, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday, e-mail address DTNA.Warranty.Campaigns@Daimler.com. For other concerns, you may contact the Customer Assistance Center at (800) 385-4357. If you are not able to have the defect remedied without charge and within a reasonable time, you may wish to submit a complaint to the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590; or call the Vehicle Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236 (TTY: 800-424-9153); or go to https://www.safercar.gov.
We regret any inconvenience this action may cause but feel certain you understand our interest in motor vehicle safety.
WARRANTY CAMPAIGNS DEPARTMENT
Daimler Trucks North America LLC
Warranty Campaigns Department
P.O. Box 4090
Portland, OR 97208-4090
800.547.0712 Phone
Enclosure
Daimler Trucks
North America LLC
Reimbursement to Customers for Repairs Performed Prior to Recall
If you have already paid to have this recall condition corrected you may be eligible to receive reimbursement.
Requests for reimbursement may include parts and labor. Reimbursement may be limited to the amount the repair would have cost if completed by an authorized Daimler Trucks North America LLC dealer. The following documentation must be presented to your dealer for consideration for reimbursement.
Please provide original or clear copies of all receipts, invoices, and repair orders that show:
• The name and address of the person who paid for the repair.
• The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of the vehicle that was repaired.
• What problem occurred, what repair was done, when the repair was done.
• Who repaired the vehicle.
• The total cost of the repair expense that is being claimed.
• Proof of payment for the repair (such as the front and back of a cancelled check or a credit card receipt).
Reimbursement will be made by check from your Daimler Trucks North America LLC dealer.
Please speak with your Daimler Trucks North America LLC authorized dealer concerning this matter
Daimler Trucks North America LLC
Warranty Campaigns Department
P.O. Box 4090
Portland, OR 97208-4090
800.547.0712 Phone
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Daimler Trucks
North America LLC Recall Campaign
November 2021
FL902
NHTSA #21V-714 (School Bus)
Page 1
Subject: TBB Fan Drive Bolts
Models Affected: Specific model year 2021, Thomas Built Saf-T-Liners HDX school buses manufactured October 26, 2020, through June 10, 2021.
General Information
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA), on behalf of its wholly owned subsidiary Thomas Built Buses, has decided that a defect that relates to motor vehicle safety exists on the vehicles mentioned above.
On certain Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses, the fan hub pulley bolts may become loose or missing which may lead to the serpentine belt coming off leading to an eventual engine overheat, and shutdown causing a disabled school bus. A disabled school bus evacuation procedure in an uncontrolled traffic situation may increase the risk of injury.
The fan hub pulley bolts will be replaced. Repairs will be performed by Daimler Trucks North America authorized service facilities.
There are approximately 50 vehicles involved.
Additional Repairs
Dealers must complete all outstanding Recall and Field Service campaigns prior to the sale or delivery of a vehicle. A Dealer will be liable for any progressive damage that results from its failure to complete campaigns before sale or delivery of a vehicle.
Owners may be liable for any progressive damage that results from failure to complete campaigns within a reasonable time after receiving notification.
Please contact Warranty Campaigns for consideration of additional charges prior to performing the repair.
Work Instructions
Please refer to the attached work instruction.
Replacement Parts
Replacement parts are now available and can be obtained by ordering the kit and/or part number(s) listed below from your facing Parts Distribution Center.
If our records show your dealership has ordered any vehicle(s) involved in campaign number FL902, a list of the customers and vehicle identification numbers will be available on DTNAConnect. Please refer to this list when ordering parts for this recall.
Table 1 – Replacement Parts for FL902
Campaign Number
Part Description
Part Number
Qty.
FL902A
Bolts (M10 x 1.5)
N304017 010047
4 ea
Table 1
Daimler Trucks
North America LLC Recall Campaign
November 2021
FL902
NHTSA #21V-714 (School Bus)
Page 2
U.S. and Canadian Dealers, please follow Warranty Failed Parts Tracking shipping instructions for the disposition of all removed parts. Export distributors, please destroy removed parts unless otherwise advised.
Labor Allowance
Table 2 – Labor Allowance
Campaign Number
Procedure
Time Allowed (hours)
SRT Codes
Corrective Action
FL902A
REPLACE BOLTS, DUAL PULLEY HUB
0.9
996-R129A
12-Repair Recall/Campaign
Table 2
Claims for Credit
You will be reimbursed for your parts, labor, and handling (landed cost for Export Distributors) by submitting your claim through the Warranty system within 30 days of completing this campaign. Please reference the following information in OWL:
• Claim type is Recall Campaign.
• In the Campaign field, enter the campaign number and appropriate condition code (FL902-A).
• In the Primary Failed Part field, enter 25-FL902-000.
• In the Parts field, enter the appropriate part number as shown in the Replacement Parts Table.
• In the Labor field, enter the appropriate SRT from the Labor Allowance Table.
• The VMRS Component Code is F99-999-005 and the Cause Code is A1 – Campaign.
• U.S. and Canada – Reimbursement for Prior Repairs. When a customer asks about reimbursement, please do the following:
• Accept the documentation of the previous repair.
• Make a brief check of the customer’s paperwork to see if the repair may be eligible for reimbursement. (See the “Copy of Owner Letter” section of this bulletin for reimbursement guidelines.)
• Submit an OWL Recall Pre-Approval Request for a decision.
• Include the approved amount on your claim in the Other Charges section.
• Attach the documentation to the pre-approval request.
• If approved, submit a based on claim for the pre-approval.
• Reimburse the customer the appropriate amount.
IMPORTANT: OWL must be viewed prior to performing the recall to ensure the vehicle is involved and the campaign has not been previously completed.
U.S. and Canadian dealers, contact the Warranty Campaigns Department via Web inquiry at DTNAConnect.com/WSC, if you have any questions or need additional information. Export distributors, submit a Web inquiry or contact your International Service Manager.
Removed Parts
Daimler Trucks
North America LLC Recall Campaign
November 2021
FL902
NHTSA #21V-714 (School Bus)
Page 3
U.S. and Canadian Dealers: To return excess kit inventory related to this campaign, U.S. dealers must submit a Parts Authorization Return (PAR) to the Memphis PDC. Canadian dealers must submit a PAR to their facing PDC. All kits must be in resalable condition. PAR requests must include the original purchase invoice number. Export Distributors: Excess inventory is not returnable.
The letter notifying U.S. and Canadian vehicle owners is included for your reference
Please note that the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, as amended (Title 49, United States Code, Chapter 301), requires the owner’s vehicle(s) be corrected within a reasonable time after parts are available to you. The Act states that failure to repair a vehicle within 60 days after tender for repair shall be prima facie evidence of an unreasonable time. However, circumstances of a particular situation may reduce the 60 day period. Failure to repair a vehicle within a reasonable time can result in either the obligation to (a) replace the vehicle with an identical or reasonably equivalent vehicle, without charge, or (b) refund the purchase price in full, less a reasonable allowance for depreciation. The Act further prohibits dealers from selling a vehicle unless all outstanding recalls are performed. Any lessor is required to send a copy of the recall notification to the lessee within 10 days. Any subsequent stage manufacturer is required to forward this notice to its distributors and retail outlets within five working days.
Daimler Trucks
North America LLC Recall Campaign
November 2021
FL902
NHTSA #21V-714 (School Bus)
Page 4
Copy of Notice to Owners
Subject: TBB Fan Drive Bolts
This notice is sent to you in accordance with the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. This is to inform you that your vehicle may contain a defect that could affect the safety of a person.
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA), on behalf of its wholly owned subsidiary Thomas Built Buses, has decided that a defect that relates to motor vehicle safety exists on specific model year 2021, Thomas Built Saf-T-Liners HDX school buses manufactured October 26, 2020, through June 10, 2021.
On certain Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses, the fan hub pulley bolts may become loose or missing which may lead to the serpentine belt coming off leading to an eventual engine overheat, and shutdown causing a disabled school bus. A disabled school bus evacuation procedure in an uncontrolled traffic situation may increase the risk of injury.
The fan hub pulley bolts will be replaced. Repairs will be performed by Daimler Trucks North America authorized service facilities. This repair will take approximately one hour and will be done at no cost to the owner.
Please contact an authorized Daimler Trucks North America dealer to arrange to have the Recall performed and to ensure that parts are available at the dealership. To locate an authorized dealer, go to
www.Daimler-TrucksNorthAmerica.com. On the menu tab, select “Contact,” scroll down to “Find a Dealer,” and select the appropriate brand. The Recall will take approximately one hour and will be performed at no charge to you. You may also confirm your vehicle’s involvement in this recall at this URL: https://dtna-dlrinfo.prd.freightliner.com:48518/VinLookup/vin-module/getVinLookupPage.
You may be liable for any progressive damage that results from your failure to complete the Recall within a reasonable time after receiving notification.
If you do not own the vehicle that corresponds to the identification number(s), which appears on the Recall Notification, please return the notification to the Warranty Campaigns Department with any information you can furnish that will assist us in locating the present owner. If you have leased this vehicle, Federal law requires that you forward this notice to the lessee within 10 days. If you are a subsequent stage manufacturer, Federal law requires that you forward this notice to your distributors and retail outlets within five working days. If you have paid to have this recall condition corrected prior to this notice, you may be eligible to receive reimbursement.
Please see the reverse side of this notice for details.
If you have questions about this Recall, please contact the Warranty Campaigns Department at (800) 547-0712, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday, e-mail address DTNA.Warranty.Campaigns@Daimler.com. If you are not able to have the defect remedied without charge and within a reasonable time, you may wish to submit a complaint to the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590; or call the Vehicle Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236 (TTY: 800-424-9153); or to https://www.safercar.gov.
We regret any inconvenience this action may cause but feel certain you understand our interest in motor vehicle safety.
WARRANTY CAMPAIGNS DEPARTMENT
Enclosure
Daimler Trucks
North America LLC Recall Campaign
November 2021
FL902
NHTSA #21V-714 (School Bus)
Page 5
Reimbursement to Customers for Repairs Performed Prior to Recall
If you have already paid to have this recall condition corrected you may be eligible to receive reimbursement.
Requests for reimbursement may include parts and labor. Reimbursement may be limited to the amount the repair would have cost if completed by an authorized Daimler Trucks North America LLC dealer. The following documentation must be presented to your dealer for consideration for reimbursement.
Please provide original or clear copies of all receipts, invoices, and repair orders that show:
• The name and address of the person who paid for the repair
• The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of the vehicle that was repaired
• What problem occurred, what repair was done, when the repair was done
• Who repaired the vehicle
• The total cost of the repair expense that is being claimed
• Proof of payment for the repair (such as the front and back of a cancelled check or a credit card receipt)
Reimbursement will be made by check from your Daimler Trucks North America LLC dealer.
Please speak with your Daimler Trucks North America LLC authorized dealer concerning this matter.
Daimler Trucks
North America LLC Recall Campaign
November 2021
FL902
NHTSA #21V-714 (School Bus)
Page 6
Work Instructions
Subject: TBB Fan Drive Bolts
Models Affected: Specific model years 2021, Thomas Built Saf-T-Liners HDX school buses manufactured October 26, 2020, through June 10, 2021.
Fan Drive Bolt Replacement
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface, turn engine OFF, chock tires, and turn the main power disconnect switch (MPDS) to the OFF Position. The MPDS switch is located in the battery box compartment,
2. Disconnect negative battery cables at the batteries.
3. Open the engine compartment door.
4. See Fig. 1, and 2 for the area of the repair.
Fig. 1, Engine Compartment, Typical
Fig. 2, Repair area circled
Daimler Trucks
North America LLC Recall Campaign
November 2021
FL902
NHTSA #21V-714 (School Bus)
Page 7
4. Following the pattern shown in Fig. 3, start by removing bolt one, leaving the other three in place.
5. Using the new bolt (N304017 010047), add Loctite Blue 242 to the threads. See Fig 4.
6. Screw in the new bolt (with Blue Loctite applied), into the vacated hole until it is fully threaded in, and hand tight.
7. Adjust the torque wrench to 48 lbf·ft (65 N·m), and tighten bolt.
8. Repeat steps 4 through 7, for all 4 bolts until all have been replaced and torqued.
9. Connect the negative battery cable, turn the main power disconnect switch to the ON position, unchock the tires.
10. Start engine to check that repair functions as intended.
11. Release the vehicle back to service
Fig. 4
1
4
3
2
Fig. 3, Dual Fan Hub Pulley Bolts.
Replacement Sequence
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SEOCONTENT-END