Recall 11V204 affects 526 2000-2008 Thomas Built Buses Minotour school buses with incorrect tire-load labels. Repair is free at a franchised Thomas Built Buses dealer.
Thomas Built Buses is recalling 526 2000-2008 Minotour school buses because the tire load certification label lists the wrong tire load range and cold inflation pressure. Incorrect tire information can lead to overloading, tire failure, and a crash; the dealer repair will be free once available.
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What's wrong?
The certification label on a 2000-2008 Thomas Built Buses Minotour tells the owner and service shop what tire load range the bus uses and what cold tire pressure belongs with it. That label is part of the safety setup because tire pressure has to match the tires installed on the bus and the load the bus carries.
On affected Minotour buses, the label lists load range D tires and a recommended cold inflation pressure greater than 65 PSI. The buses are actually equipped with load range E tires, which require a higher minimum tire pressure. If a shop or owner follows the incorrect label, the tires are inflated below the required pressure for those tires.
There is no warning sign before failure. The label looks official, so the problem is easy to miss unless the tire load range and pressure information are checked against the tires installed on the bus.
Who's affected?
Spans the 2000-2008 Minotour model years, all tied to the same vehicle label requirement.
| 2006 Thomas Built Buses Minotour | vehicle label (placard or certification) |
|---|---|
| 2008 Thomas Built Buses Minotour | vehicle label (placard or certification) |
| 2004 Thomas Built Buses Minotour | vehicle label (placard or certification) |
| 2001 Thomas Built Buses Minotour | vehicle label (placard or certification) |
| 2003 Thomas Built Buses Minotour | vehicle label (placard or certification) |
| 2000 Thomas Built Buses Minotour | vehicle label (placard or certification) |
| 2005 Thomas Built Buses Minotour | vehicle label (placard or certification) |
| 2002 Thomas Built Buses Minotour | vehicle label (placard or certification) |
| 2007 Thomas Built Buses Minotour | vehicle label (placard or certification) |
| Units affected | 526 |
A matching year and model does not confirm inclusion. Check your VIN to confirm whether this recall applies to your specific bus.
What's the safety risk?
Incorrect tire information can lead to overloading. Overloading can cause tire failure and increase crash risk. Until the label is replaced, do not rely on the old tire information when loading the bus. Keep loads within the corrected limits and schedule the label replacement soon. Repair will be free at any franchised Thomas Built Buses dealer once available.
What should I do?
- Check your VIN to confirm your 2000-2008 Thomas Built Buses Minotour is included in this recall.
- Look for the Thomas Built Buses owner notice mailed on May 24, 2011, or call Thomas Built Buses customer service if you never received one.
- Contact a franchised Thomas Built Buses dealer to replace the incorrect tire-load certification label with the correct label free of charge.
- Reference recall number 11V204 when you call so the dealer can find the label recall quickly.
- Bring the recall notice to the dealer, or ask Thomas Built Buses for the correct label if you want to attach it yourself.
- Avoid loading the bus by the incorrect tire label until the corrected label is installed.
What happens at the repair
At the dealer, a Thomas Built Buses technician replaces the incorrect tire load certification label with a corrected label that matches the bus's load range E tires and required inflation information. The dealer repair will be free once available. If you choose to handle the label yourself, contact DTNA or Thomas Built Buses using the recall notice instructions and affix only the corrected label supplied for this campaign.
Timeline
| March 30, 2011 | NHTSA published the recall |
|---|---|
| May 24, 2011 | Owner notification mailed |
Frequently asked questions
What is recall 11V204?
Recall 11V204 covers 526 2000-2008 Thomas Built Buses Minotour school buses with an incorrect tire load certification label. The label lists load range D tire information, while the buses have load range E tires that need a higher minimum pressure. Dealers replace the label for free.
What should I do if my 2000-2008 Thomas Built Buses Minotour is on this recall?
Check your VIN to confirm your specific school bus is included in recall 11V204. If it is, contact a franchised Thomas Built Buses dealer to get the corrected tire load certification label installed. Reference recall number 11V204000 when you call. The repair is free.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Federal recall law requires the manufacturer to correct the defect at no cost. For recall 11V204, Thomas Built Buses dealers replace the incorrect tire load certification label with the correct label free of charge.
What is the safety risk?
The safety risk is tire failure from overloading. The incorrect label gives the wrong tire load information, which can lead to a tire being used outside its required pressure and load limits. A tire failure can increase crash risk.
When did the recall repair start?
The safety recall began on May 24, 2011. Thomas Built Buses owners can still use the recall number when contacting a franchised dealer, because open safety recalls follow the vehicle, not the original owner.
More information
| NHTSA campaign page | nhtsa.gov/vehicle-recalls/11V204000 |
|---|---|
| Thomas Built Buses customer service | 1-800-547-0712 |
| NHTSA recall # | 11V204 |
| NHTSA recall # (full) | 11V204000 |
Source documents
-
Download Recall Document (PDF) (PDF) - Download Owner Notification Letter (PDF)
- Download Defect / Noncompliance Notice (PDF) (PDF)
- Download Recall Acknowledgement (PDF)
This article is generated from NHTSA's primary recall filings and reviewed against the source on June 2, 2026. RecallNotify does not paraphrase NHTSA's consequence language; that text is reproduced as written above. Editorial standards →