2026 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley problems, complaints & recalls
Safety recalls (5)
Structure:body 2026-10-22 · campaign 26V702000 · 13,593 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2023-2027 Thomas Built SAF-T-LINER C2 Jouley, 2025-2027 Thomas Built SAF-T-LINER C2, 2026-2027 Thomas Built SAF-T-LINER HDX2, and Thomas Built SAF-T-LINER EFX2 school buses. The wheelhouse body interior joints may have been manufactured incorrectly, resulting in insufficient joint strength. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 221, "School Bus Body Joint Strength.
Risk: A school bus with insufficient joint strength may not adequately protect passengers in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will add fasteners to secure the joints, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 21, 2026. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-574-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is F1044.
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility:wheelchair Restraints/Securement:latch/Anchor: 2025-12-09 · campaign 25V849000 · 600 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2025 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner EFX, 2025-2027 Thomas Built Buses Minotour DRW, 2026 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley, Thomas Built Buses HDX, and 2026-2027 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 school buses equipped with certain QRT-Deluxe and QRT-Max wheelchair restraints. The wheel chair restraint retractor may not lock, preventing the wheelchair from being properly secured.
Risk: An unsecured wheelchair can move during transit, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the retractors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 5, 2026. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is F1028.
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility:wheelchair Restraints/Securement:latch/Anchor: 2025-12-09 · campaign 25V850000 · 2 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2026 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley and 2027 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 transit buses equipped with a QRT-Deluxe or QRT-Max wheelchair restraint. The wheel chair restraint retractor may not lock, preventing the wheelchair from being properly secured.
Risk: An unsecured wheelchair can move during transit, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: A dealer will inspect and replace the retractor, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 5, 2026. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is F1028.
Service Brakes, Air:critical Fasteners 2025-09-11 · campaign 25V602000 · 36 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain Thomas Built Buses 2025-2026 Saf-T-Liner C2 and Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley school buses. The brake caliper mounting bolts may loosen and detach, which can cause a loss of brake function and damage the tire and/or wheel.
Risk: A loss of brake function can increase the risk of a crash. In addition, a damaged wheel or tire can lead to a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace or tighten the brake caliper mounting bolts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 10, 2025. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is F1023.
Steering:critical Fasteners 2025-09-11 · campaign 25V604000 · 99 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain Thomas Built Buses 2025-2026 Saf-T-Liner HDX, Saf-T-Liner C2, 2026 Saf-T-Liner EFX, and Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley school buses. The tie rod castle nut and cotter pin may not be installed properly, which can result in a loss of vehicle steering control.
Risk: A loss of vehicle steering control increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the tie rod assembly, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 10, 2025. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is D25R2.
Service bulletins (12)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Engine 2026-03-02 · F1025-OWN LTR · Emissions
emissions recall for subject: dtna zep label
Engine 2026-03-02 · F1025-DLR LTR · Emissions
emissions recall for subject: dtna zep label
Engine 2026-03-02 · F1025-Bulletin · Emissions
emissions recall for subject: dtna zep label
Seats 2025-11-18 · PAB018-2025 · Other
product awareness bulletin for discontinuation of immi t3 activity seats
Service Brakes 2025-10-16 · CXA 10_25_Air Dryer Purge · Other
cx advocate for experiencing excessive purging from air dryer
Power Train 2025-08-05 · ICI21-016 · Other
revised important campaign information letter for (revised) cpwa recall program
Showing the 6 most recent of 12 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
No detailed complaint narratives on file.
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.