2004 Thomas Built Buses FS-65 Recalls, Complaints & Specs
7 safety recalls list the 2004 Thomas Built Buses FS-65, and owners have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
7 safety recalls for the 2004 Thomas Built Buses FS-65
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Equipment
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2002-2017 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner HDX, FS65, and Minotour school buses, equipped with Kidde Plastic-Handle or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or…
Remedy: DTNA will notify owners instructing them to contact Kidde for a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 30, 2018. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712…
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Hinge and attachments (structure)
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…
Remedy: 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…
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Equipment adaptive/mobility
Daimler trucks is recalling 760 my 2003-2007 thomas built school buses manufactured between july 6, 2005 and july 19, 2006, equipped with braun wheelchair lifts, models nl, ncl, or nvl. The threshold warning systems of the subject model wheelchair lifts fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.…
Remedy: Daimler trucks will notify owners and provide a free remedy which will be performed by thomas built dealerships. The recall began on august 8, 2008. Owners may contact thomas built at 336-889-4871.
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Fuses and circuit breakers (electrical system)
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…
Remedy: 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…
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Column (steering)
Certain freightliner school buses and trucks manufactured from october 23, 2004, to march 21, 2006. During the steering column manufacturing process two welds may have been missing.
Remedy: Freightliner will notify owners and inspect and repair the affected vehicle free of charge. The recall began on august 30, 2007. Owners can contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
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Equipment adaptive/mobility
Certain my 2004-2007 thomas built minotour, fs65, mvp-ef, and hdx model school buses, manufactured between june 16 and july 1, 2005, equipped with ricon wheelchair lifts. Cracks in the lift arms may allow the mechanism to twist during stowage, preventing closure of the safety interlock switches.
Remedy: Ricon is conducting this recall (please see 06e008000) and will replace the two vertical arms even if only one arm is cracked free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on may 30, 2006. Owners may contact ricon…
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Fuses and circuit breakers (electrical system)
Certain my 2004 through 2006 thomas built hdx, ef, and fs-65 school buses manufactured between october 4, 2004, and february 14, 2006. The body power distribution module (pdm) was manufactured with copper circuits that are too thin for the electrical loads encountered, possibly causing the board to overheat.
Remedy: Thomas built will notify owners and will replace the pdm's thin copper circuits with thicker copper circuits. The recall began on june 30, 2006. Owners may contact thomas built at 1-877-660-4938.
1 owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2004 Thomas Built Buses FS-65 have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA; 1 describe a fire. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 35,000 miles. Complaints peaked in 2008 with 1 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Tl*the contact owns a 2004 thomas built fs-65/ freightliner school bus. The contact stated that the fuse panels and cables leading to the fuse panels burned in the vehicle. He replaced the panels on a”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, May 6, 2008 · Electrical system
Compare Thomas Built Buses FS-65 model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Thomas Built Buses FS-65 model year in NHTSA's database.
Checking a specific 2004 Thomas Built Buses FS-65
How do I know if my 2004 Thomas Built Buses FS-65 has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 7 campaigns currently list the 2004 Thomas Built Buses FS-65; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Thomas Built Buses dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 06V136000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Thomas Built Buses models
- Saf-T-Liner C222 complaints
- C28 complaints
- Saf-T-Liner Hdx5 complaints
- Mvp-Ef4 complaints
- Ef2 complaints
- Hdx2 complaints
- Minotour2 complaints
- Saf-T-Liner ER2 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.