NHTSA campaign 20V252000 · Manufacturer campaign FL-849
Thomas Built Buses Recall 20V-252: Rear Emergency Exit Window Label/FMVSS 217
NHTSA recall 20V252000 (Manufacturer campaign FL-849) was reported by Daimler Trucks North America LLC on May 5, 2020, with 7,979 vehicles potentially affected (per NHTSA). NHTSA's record lists the Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner HDX for model years 2010–2020. Owners were notified on September 10, 2020, per NHTSA.
Updated daily from NHTSA's recall files
Is my vehicle included?
This page lists, by model year, the vehicles NHTSA's recall record names for campaign 20V252000 in the model years try.vin imports (1995 and later); NHTSA's own record can list more. A model year on the list doesn't mean every vehicle of that year is included, and some may already have been repaired.
To see whether a specific vehicle is included and still needs the repair, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Free VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Key facts
- NHTSA campaign
- 20V252000 (also written 20V-252 or 20V252)
- Filed by
- Daimler Trucks North America LLC
- Manufacturer campaign number
- FL-849
- Report received
- Potentially affected
- 7,979 vehicles (per NHTSA)
- Component
- Structure — Emergency — Escape/Egress/Exit
- Owners notified
- Safety standard
- FMVSS 217
Repair completion: 100% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated October 21, 2026)
NHTSA cautions against comparing completion rates across recalls or manufacturers. How try.vin reads them.
Vehicles listed for this recall
NHTSA's recall record lists these vehicles for recall 20V252000. try.vin imports model years 1995 and later, so NHTSA's own list can be longer. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to it. Build dates are NHTSA's range for a model year (per NHTSA); a vehicle built in that range is not necessarily included.
NHTSA's recall notice
As NHTSA's recall record states it for campaign 20V252000.
Defect description
Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2010-2020 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX school buses. The lettering on the instruction label for the rear emergency exit window may be too small. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 217, "Bus Emergency Exits and Window Retention and Release."
Safety consequence
Small lettering may be difficult for occupants to read, delaying the reaction time to open the exit, increasing the risk of injury.
Manufacturer remedy
DTNA will notify owners and mail a new label to attach to the exit window by first class mail, free of charge. DTNA issued owners an interim notification on June 17, 2020. The recall began September 10, 2020. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-849.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Sources
Official NHTSA notice for recall 20V252000
Campaign details come from NHTSA's recall files, which try.vin imports once a day. The plain-language subject and the completion rate come from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Recalls Data dataset. How try.vin reads recall data.