1997 Thomas Mvp EF Recalls, Complaints & Specs
6 safety recalls list the 1997 Thomas Mvp EF, and owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
6 safety recalls for the 1997 Thomas Mvp EF
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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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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Seat belts
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.
Remedy: 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…
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Body (structure)
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.
Remedy: 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…
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Seats
Vehicle description: certain school buses and transit buses equipped with national seating's series 93b-sb driver seat. A bracket attaching the gas spring shock to the height adjuster of the seat can deform and break. This bracket is located at the top of the height adjuster.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat base and add reinforcement to the seat assembly
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Antilock (service brakes)
Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks and school bus chassis built with bendix air ABS with an ec-17 1030r electronic control unit (ECU), there have been reports of unwanted ABS activation at low speeds caused by 1) chafed ABS wheel speed sensor wires on rotating parts or 2) a damaged component at the wheel end that generates a certain…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the ABS ECU.
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Antilock (service brakes)
Vehicle description: school bus chassis and emergency vehicles built with bendix air ABS with an ec-17 1030r electronic control unit (ECU), there have been reports of unwanted ABS activation at low speeds caused by 1) chafed ABS wheel speed sensor wires on rotating parts or 2) a damaged component at the wheel end that generates a…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the ABS ECU.
2 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 1997 Thomas Mvp EF have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA. Complaints peaked in 2000 with 2 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Metal guards on headlights are rubbing against the brake line, which could wear through and cause a possible leakage, and loss of braking. Dealer notified. *ak”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, April 28, 2000 · Structure
“Metal guards on headlights are rubbing against brake line, which could wear through and cause a possible leak, and a loss of braking. *ak *ml”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, April 28, 2000 · Service brakes, hydraulic
Compare Thomas Mvp EF model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Thomas Mvp EF model year in NHTSA's database.
Checking a specific 1997 Thomas Mvp EF
How do I know if my 1997 Thomas Mvp EF 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. 6 campaigns currently list the 1997 Thomas Mvp EF; 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 dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 00V232002).
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 models
- School Bus21 complaints
- Thomas11 complaints
- Bus7 complaints
- Saf-T-Liner5 complaints
- C23 complaints
- FS-653 complaints
- CL1002 complaints
- Conventional2 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.