ATTENTION: Dealer Principal, Warranty Manager, Service
Manager, Parts Manager
Freightliner Dealers – U.S. and Canada
Western Star and Sterling Dealers – U.S. and Canada
FCCC Dealers – U.S. and Canada
Thomas Built Bus Dealers – U.S. and Canada
Direct Warranty Customers – U.S. and Canada

REF #:

Daimler Trucks North America LLC

ICI15-011

Effective:

08/26/15

Release:

09/01/15

WARRANTY CAMPAIGNS DEPARTMENT
P.O. Box 4090
800-547-0712
Portland, Oregon 97208-4090
FAX 503-745-9009

If you have questions
about this Letter, please
submit your inquiry on the
Web using the WSC Link
on DTNAConnect

SUBJECT: FL685 – Interim Recall Notice for TBB
This letter is to inform you that an Interim Recall Notice was sent to affected customers for Recall FL685 ~
TBB Emergency Door Handles. Copies of the notices for U.S. and Canadian customers follow for your
reference. The notices were mailed on August 26, 2015.
This is an informational notice only. There is no action for customers or dealers to take at this time.
If customers inquire, please let them know the recall will begin when all preparations are completed.
If you have questions or need further information, contact the TBB Warranty Department by calling at
(336) 889-4871, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, or submitting an inquiry
through the WSC Link on DTNAConnect.

The information contained in this letter supercedes and supplements any related policies and procedures in any previously
released bulletins, the Warranty Manual, and/or previously released letters. Failure to read or distribute this letter will not
exempt addressees from compliance with the information contained herein.

Page 1 of 1

Daimler Trucks
North America LLC

Daimler Trucks North America LLC
Thomas Built Buses
1408 Courtesy Road
High Point, NC 27260
336.889.4871 Phone

August 2015
FL685
NHTSA # 15V-425 Non-School Buses
NHTSA # 15V-432 School Buses

IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL
This notice applies to your vehicle(s)

Subject: TBB Emergency Door Handles
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, Inc.
(TBB), has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists on specific Vista and TL-960 vehicles
and on Saf-T-Liner Conventional, ER, MVP-EF, EFX, MVP ER, FS65, C2, and HDX vehicles manufactured
February 5, 2001, through May 29, 2012.
The stem which joins the outside emergency door handle to the door opening mechanism may corrode. Excessive
material loss of the stem due to corrosion could result in the outside handle separating from the door mechanism
while trying to open the door from the exterior of the bus. In the event of an emergency, opening the emergency
door from outside the bus may cause the handle to separate from the opening mechanism, potentially delaying
evacuation and increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants.
This is the first of two notices you will receive regarding this subject. This letter is to inform you of an upcoming
Recall to correct the issue noted above. Until parts are available, TBB asks bus operators to follow federal and
state mandated pre-trip and post-trip inspections and ensure the correct operation of the emergency doors,
especially operation of the door from outside the bus. You may continue to operate your vehicle in the interim.
Note, TBB vehicles are built with redundant exits, push out windows and roof hatches to aid passengers if an
evacuation is required. The recall of the door stem does not impact the use of the interior door handle. The interior
door handle will operate as designed.
The second notice will inform you when the final remedy is available. When you receive the second notice,
please contact your authorized Thomas Built Buses dealer to schedule the Recall for your vehicle.
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.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. If you have any questions or require further
information, please contact the Warranty Department at (336) 889-4871, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time,
Monday through Friday. 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 http://www.safercar.gov.

THOMAS BUILT BUSES WARRANTY DEPARTMENT
Enclosure

Daimler Trucks
North America LLC

Daimler Trucks North America LLC
Thomas Built Buses
1408 Courtesy Road
High Point, NC 27260
336.889.4871 Phone

August 2015
FL685
Transport Canada # 15-290 Non-School Buses
Transport Canada # 15-291 School Buses

Subject: TBB Emergency Door Handles
This notice is sent to you in accordance with the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA), on behalf of its wholly owned subsidiary, Thomas Built Buses, Inc.
(TBB), has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists on specific Vista and TL-960 vehicles
and on Saf-T-Liner Conventional, ER, MVP-EF, EFX, MVP ER, FS65, C2, and HDX vehicles manufactured
February 5, 2001, through May 29, 2012.
The stem which joins the outside emergency door handle to the door opening mechanism may corrode. Excessive
material loss of the stem due to corrosion could result in the outside handle separating from the door mechanism
while trying to open the door from the exterior of the bus. In the event of an emergency, opening the emergency
door from outside the bus may cause the handle to separate from the opening mechanism, potentially delaying
evacuation and increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants.
This is the first of two notices you will receive regarding this subject. This letter is to inform you of an upcoming
Recall to correct the issue noted above. Until parts are available, TBB asks bus operators to follow federal and
state mandated pre-trip and post-trip inspections and ensure the correct operation of the emergency doors,
especially operation of the door from outside the bus. You may continue to operate your vehicle in the interim.
Note, TBB vehicles are built with redundant exits, push out windows and roof hatches to aid passengers if an
evacuation is required. The recall of the door stem does not impact the use of the interior door handle. The interior
door handle will operate as designed.
The second notice will inform you when the final remedy is available. When you receive the second notice,
please contact your authorized Thomas Built Buses dealer to schedule the Recall for your vehicle.
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.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. If you have any questions or require further
information, please contact the Warranty Department at (336) 889-4871, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time,
Monday through Friday.

THOMAS BUILT BUSES WARRANTY DEPARTMENT
Enclosure

Daimler Trucks
North America LLC

Daimler Trucks North America LLC
Autobus Thomas Built
1408 Ram Road
High Point, NC 27260
336.889.4871 Téléphone

Août 2015
FL685
Transport Canada n° 15-290 autobus non scolaires
Transport Canada n° 15-291 autobus scolaires

Objet : Poignées de portes de secours TBB
Cet avis vous a été envoyé conformément à la Loi sur la sécurité automobile du Canada.
Au nom de sa filiale à cent pour cent Thomas Built Buses (TBB), Daimler Trucks North America LLC a
déterminé qu'une défectuosité reliée à la sécurité d'un véhicule à moteur existe sur certains véhicules
Vista et TL-960, et certains véhicules Saf-T-Liner Conventional, ER, MVP-EF, EFX, MVP ER, FS65, C2
et HDX construits entre le 5 février 2001 et le 29 mai 2012.
Il existe un risque de corrosion de la tige qui relie la poignée extérieure de la porte de secours au
mécanisme d'ouverture de la porte. La perte excessive du matériau constituant la tige, à cause de la
corrosion, peut provoquer la séparation de la poignée extérieure de la porte du mécanisme lors d'une
tentative d'ouverture de la porte depuis l'extérieur de l'autobus. En cas de situation d'urgence, l'ouverture
de la porte de secours depuis l'extérieur du bus peut provoquer la séparation de la poignée du
mécanisme d'ouverture, ce qui pourrait retarder l'évacuation et augmente le risque de blessure pour les
occupants du véhicule.
Ceci est le premier de deux avis que vous recevrez à ce sujet. Le but de cette lettre est de vous informer
d'un rappel à venir pour corriger le problème mentionné ci-dessus. En attendant que des pièces de
rechange soient disponibles, TBB demande aux autocaristes de procéder aux inspections, avant départ
et après retour, mandatées par les organismes fédéraux et des provinces, afin de s'assurer que les
portes de secours sont en bon état de fonctionnement, notamment quand actionnées depuis l'extérieur.
En attendant, vous pouvez continuer à utiliser votre véhicule.
Veuillez noter que les véhicules TBB sont construits avec des sorties secondaires, des fenêtres de
secours et des trappes de toit pour aider les passagers, si une évacuation est nécessaire. Le rappel de la
tige de la porte n'a pas d'impact sur l'utilisation de la poignée intérieure de porte. La poignée intérieure de
la porte intérieure continue à fonctionner comme prévu.
Le deuxième avis vous informera quand le remède final sera disponible. Lorsque vous recevrez le
deuxième avis, veuillez contacter votre concessionnaire Thomas Built Buses autorisé pour programmer
le rappel pour votre véhicule.
Si vous ne possédez pas de véhicule qui correspond au(x) numéro(s) d'identification apparaissant sur
l'Avis de rappel, veuillez retourner l'avis au Service des campagnes de garanties avec tous les
renseignements dont vous disposez qui pourraient nous aider à identifier le propriétaire actuel.
Nous nous excusons pour tout inconvénient que ceci aurait pu causer. Si vous avez des questions au
sujet de ce rappel ou avez besoin de plus amples informations, veuillez contacter le Service de garantie
au 1-336-889-4871, du lundi au vendredi de 8 h à 17 h, heure de l'Est.

SERVICE DE GARANTIE THOMAS BUILT BUSES
Pièce jointe