2005 Thomas Saf-T-Liner ER Recalls, Complaints & Specs
1 safety recall lists the 2005 Thomas Saf-T-Liner ER, and owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
1 safety recall for the 2005 Thomas Saf-T-Liner ER
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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Vehicle speed control
Certain my 2002-2005 thomas built saf-t-liner er school buses and er transit buses manufactured between november 2002 and february 2005 and equipped with john deere 8.1l compressed natural gas engines models hfn01 and hfn03. The engine control unit and throttle can unexpectedly surge. These units fail to conform to federal motor vehicle…
Remedy: John deere will notify the customers of freightliner/thomas built and will update the engine control unit software free of charge. Owners may contact john deere at 1-800-jd-engine.
2 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2005 Thomas Saf-T-Liner ER have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA; 2 describe a fire. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 17,310 miles. Complaints peaked in 2007 with 2 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Printed circuit panel located under side panel of bus overheated and had a small fire. This problem is covered under recall 06v-136 but does cover this particular vehicle. It appears that this recall”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, February 26, 2007 · Electrical system
“Printed circuit board overheats and catches fire. This problem has occurred before and we have had a 50% failure rate on this model bus. This part is covered under recall 06v-136 but does not cover th”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, February 26, 2007 · Electrical system
Compare Thomas Saf-T-Liner ER model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Thomas Saf-T-Liner ER model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 Thomas Saf-T-Liner ER | 1 | 0 |
| 2003 Thomas Saf-T-Liner ER | 1 | 0 |
| 2004 Thomas Saf-T-Liner ER | 1 | 0 |
| 2005 Thomas Saf-T-Liner ER | 1 | 2 |
Checking a specific 2005 Thomas Saf-T-Liner ER
How do I know if my 2005 Thomas Saf-T-Liner ER 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. 1 campaign currently lists the 2005 Thomas Saf-T-Liner ER; your car may already have been repaired under it.
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 05V208000).
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
- Mvp EF7 complaints
- Saf-T-Liner5 complaints
- C23 complaints
- FS-653 complaints
- CL1002 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.