repaired · 2025 Q1
Body: roof and pillars
Risk. A school bus exterior roof panel with insufficient joint strength may separate during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
2018 Thomas Built Buses Saf-t-liner HDXProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 0 owner complaints about the 2018 Thomas Built Buses Saf-t-liner HDX. It is covered by 26 safety recalls, and for recall 17V-317 the manufacturer reports only 16% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 12, 2022. Updated daily.
Complaints by system
Where the 2018 Thomas Built Buses Saf-t-liner HDX has problems
0 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
26 recalls
2018 Thomas Built Buses Saf-t-liner HDX recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2025 Q2
Seats: barriers
Risk. Occupants may collide with the front seat barriers with more force than intended during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
repaired · 2025 Q3
Seats
Risk. Cracked passenger seat frames may not adequately secure passengers in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
repaired · 2023 Q3
Hydraulic power assist: hose, piping, and connections
Risk. A damaged power steering hose can leak, and increase the risk of a fire.
Show 22 more recalls
repaired · 2023 Q3
Hydraulic power assist: hose, piping, and connections
Risk. A worn power steering hose increases the risk of a fire.
repaired · 2021 Q3
Seats
Risk. In the event of a crash, the seats may not adequately protect the occupants, increasing the risk of injury.
repaired · 2023 Q3
Fuel injection system: fuel rail
Risk. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
repaired · 2022 Q2
Other: labels
Risk. Small lettering may be difficult for occupants to read, delaying the reaction time to open the exit, increasing the risk of injury.
repaired · 2022 Q2
Automatic transmission: torque converter
Risk. The loose bolts can become lodged in the starter, disabling the bus, resulting in an evacuation in an uncontrolled traffic situation, increasing the risk of an…
repaired · 2022 Q1
Seats
Risk. The lack of impact absorption increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
repaired · 2021 Q2
Service brakes, air: disc
Risk. The dragging brakes may lead to high temperatures at the wheel end, increasing the risk of smoke and fire, possibly resulting in the bus having to be…
repaired · 2020 Q4
Steering
Risk. Loose tie rod arm bolts may lead to separation of the tie rod arm, affecting vehicle steering, and increasing the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2020 Q3
Disc: caliper
Risk. Loose brake caliper mounting bolts can reduce brake effectiveness, increasing the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2020 Q3
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Risk. If the wheelchair lift platform stops above the vehicle floor, the wheelchair user can tip inwards toward the vehicle when exiting the lift, increasing their…
repaired · 2019 Q4
Disc: caliper
Risk. If the brake caliper mounting bolts come loose, braking performance may be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2020 Q4
Seats
Risk. In the event of a crash, if the seat does not remain secured to the wall, the occupant has an increased risk of an injury.
repaired · 2020 Q4
Seats
Risk. In the event of a crash, if the seat does not remain secured to the wall, the occupant has an increased risk of an injury.
repaired · 2021 Q1
Seats
Risk. In the event of a crash, if the seat does not remain secured to the wall, the occupant has an increased risk of an injury.
repaired · 2021 Q1
Seats
Risk. In the event of a crash, if the seat does not remain secured to the wall, the occupant has an increased risk of an injury.
repaired · 2020 Q2
Seats
Risk. Without the reinforcement bracket, the seat may not remain adequately secured, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
repaired · 2020 Q2
Seats
Risk. Without the reinforcement bracket, the seat may not be adequately secured, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
repaired · 2019 Q3
Seat belts
Risk. A seat lap belt anchored to the seat instead of the bus structure may not properly restrain the seat occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of…
repaired · 2019 Q3
Seat belts
Risk. A seat lap belt anchored to the seat instead of the bus structure may not properly restrain the seat occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of…
repaired · 2018 Q3
Seats
Risk. Without under-rail washers, in the event of a crash, the seats may come loose, increasing the risk of injury.
repaired · 2017 Q1
Steering: linkages
Risk. The loose pinch bolt may result in a loss of steering and vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2017 Q1
Steering: linkages
Risk. The loose pinch bolt may result in a loss of steering and vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Thomas Built Buses.
Best & worst years
2018 vs. every other Saf-t-liner HDX year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Saf-t-liner HDX median. How we score
'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
Own a 2018 Saf-t-liner HDX?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.