Recall 16V395 affects 24,698 1998-2017 Thomas Built Buses vehicles for emergency-door-handle stem corrosion. Repair is free at any franchised Thomas Built Buses dealer.
Thomas Built Buses is recalling 24,698 1998-2017 Saf-T-Liner C2, Saf-T-Liner Hdx, and Vista buses because corrosion can separate the outside emergency door handle stem from the door opening mechanism. That failure can delay opening the emergency door during evacuation and raise the risk of injury; Thomas Built Buses dealers will complete the repair free of charge.
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What's wrong?
On 1998-2017 Thomas Built Buses school buses, the outside emergency door handle connects to the door opening mechanism through a metal stem. That stem works like a small shaft: when someone pulls the exterior handle, it transfers the motion into the latch mechanism so the emergency door opens from outside the bus. The part has to stay solid because it is part of the emergency exit path.
On affected buses, the handle stem can corrode. Corrosion eats into the metal and weakens the connection between the handle and the opening mechanism. If the stem breaks, pulling the outside handle no longer moves the latch as intended, so the emergency door does not open normally from the outside.
There is no warning sign before failure. A handle can feel normal until the corroded stem breaks, so the problem is tied to whether the bus is included in recall 16V395, not to a symptom the driver is expected to notice first.
Who's affected?
Spans 9 Thomas Built Buses model lines across the 1998-2017 model years, all tied to the body door structure.
| 2003 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner FS65 | body structure |
|---|---|
| 1998 Thomas Vista | body structure |
| 2008 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Mvp-Er | body structure |
| 2015 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Hdx | body structure |
| 2016 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Hdx | body structure |
| 2005 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Mvp-Er | body structure |
| 1999 Thomas Vista | body structure |
| 2000 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Mvp-Ef | body structure |
| 2009 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Mvp-Er | body structure |
| 2000 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Er | body structure |
| 2002 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Er | body structure |
| 2016 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Mvp-Er | body structure |
| 2014 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Mvp-Er | body structure |
| 2013 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Hdx | body structure |
| 2002 Thomas Saf-T-Liner Conventional | body structure |
| 2010 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Mvp-Er | body structure |
| 2002 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Mvp-Er | body structure |
| 2001 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Mvp-Er | body structure |
| 2001 Thomas Saf-T-Liner Conventional | body structure |
| 2000 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Mvp-Er | body structure |
| 2013 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 | body structure |
| 2001 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Mvp-Ef | body structure |
| 2002 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Mvp-Ef | body structure |
| 2001 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Er | body structure |
| 1998 Thomas Saf-T-Liner Conventional | body structure |
| 2017 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Mvp-Er | body structure |
| 2015 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Mvp-Er | body structure |
| 2013 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Mvp-Er | body structure |
| 2012 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Mvp-Er | body structure |
| 2011 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Mvp-Er | body structure |
| 1999 Thomas Built Buses Conventional | body structure |
| 2006 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Mvp-Er | body structure |
| 2004 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Mvp-Er | body structure |
| 2003 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Mvp-Er | body structure |
| 2017 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 | body structure |
| 2016 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 | body structure |
| 2015 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 | body structure |
| 2014 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 | body structure |
| 2017 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Hdx | body structure |
| 2000 Thomas Saf-T-Liner Conventional | body structure |
| 2014 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Hdx | body structure |
| 2007 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner Mvp-Er | body structure |
| Units affected | 24,698 |
| Field incidents | NHTSA has logged 1 field incident to date. |
A matching year and model does not guarantee inclusion. Check your VIN to confirm whether your specific bus is included.
What's the safety risk?
Corrosion on the stem can let the door handle detach from the emergency door opening mechanism. That delays opening the door and evacuating the bus during an emergency, increasing the risk of injury to occupants. Schedule the recall repair soon. Repair is free at any franchised Thomas Built Buses dealer.
What should I do?
- Check your VIN to confirm your 1998-2017 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner FS65, Vista, Saf-T-Liner Mvp-Er, Saf-T-Liner Hdx, Saf-T-Liner Mvp-Ef, Saf-T-Liner Er, Saf-T-Liner Conventional, Saf-T-Liner C2, or Conventional is included in this recall.
- Contact a franchised Thomas Built Buses dealer to schedule the free emergency-door-handle stem repair that prevents corrosion from separating the handle from the opening mechanism.
- Bring any recall notice you received, and reference recall number 16V395 when you call.
- Inspect emergency door operation before each trip and keep buses out of passenger service if an outside emergency handle is loose, corroded, or not opening the door.
- Call Thomas Built Buses customer service at 1-800-547-0712 with questions about scheduling or parts availability.
What happens at the repair
At the dealer, a Thomas Built Buses technician checks the stem that connects the outside emergency door handle to the emergency door opening mechanism. The technician either replaces the stem or protects it against corrosion, depending on what the bus needs. The recall repair is available now, and parts and labor are free of charge. This repair addresses the emergency door handle connection so the outside handle can operate the opening mechanism as intended.
Timeline
| June 2, 2016 | NHTSA published the recall |
|---|---|
| July 29, 2016 | Dealer notification began |
| July 29, 2016 | Dealer notification ended |
| July 29, 2016 | Interim owner notification (was planned for this date) |
| December 9, 2016 | Owner notification mailed |
Frequently asked questions
What is recall 16V395?
Recall 16V395 covers 24,698 1998-2017 Thomas Built Buses vehicles with an outside emergency door handle stem that can corrode. If the stem corrodes, the handle can detach from the opening mechanism and delay emergency evacuation. Dealers replace the stems or protect them against corrosion for free.
What should I do if my 1998-2017 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner, Vista, or Conventional bus is on this recall?
Check your VIN to confirm your specific bus is included in recall 16V395. If it is, contact a franchised Thomas Built Buses dealer to schedule the emergency door handle stem repair. Reference recall number 16V395 and Thomas Built Buses recall FL-713 when you call.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Federal recall law requires the manufacturer to perform the recall repair at no cost. A franchised Thomas Built Buses dealer will replace the affected emergency door handle stems or protect them against corrosion free of charge.
What is the safety risk in recall 16V395?
The safety risk is delayed emergency evacuation. Corrosion can separate the outside emergency door handle from the opening mechanism, slowing access to the emergency door during an emergency and increasing injury risk for bus occupants. The dealer repair addresses the corroded stem issue.
What if I bought this Thomas Built Buses vehicle used?
The free recall repair still applies. Recall eligibility follows the VIN, not the current owner or where the bus was purchased. Check your VIN, then contact a franchised Thomas Built Buses dealer and give them recall number 16V395 if your bus is included.
More information
| NHTSA campaign page | nhtsa.gov/vehicle-recalls/16V395000 |
|---|---|
| Thomas Built Buses customer service | 1-800-547-0712 |
| NHTSA recall # | 16V395 |
| NHTSA recall # (full) | 16V395000 |
Source documents
-
Download Misc. Document (PDF) - Download Recall Document (PDF) (PDF)
- Download Recall Document (PDF) (PDF)
- Download Owner Notification Letter (PDF)
- Download Owner Notice (PDF)
- Download Recall Report (PDF)
- Download Quarterly Report (PDF)
- Download Recall Acknowledgement (PDF)
This article is generated from NHTSA's primary recall filings and reviewed against the source on May 31, 2026. RecallNotify does not paraphrase NHTSA's consequence language; that text is reproduced as written above. Editorial standards →