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NHTSA campaign 26V546000 · manufacturer recall F1038

2027 Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner EFX2 and 1 other Thomas Built Buses model: seat belts recall

A seat belt anchor with a missing connector plate may fail to properly restrain the driver and insufficient joint strength may not adequately protect passengers, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

high 65 vehicles affected FMVSS 210

What was reported

Source: manufacturer filing, 49 CFR Part 573
Problem Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2027 Thomas Built SAF-T-LINER HDX2 and Thomas Built SAF-T-LINER EFX2 school buses. The connector plates for the driver's seat belt anchor and an interior body joint seam may be missing, resulting in insufficient structural reinforcements. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages," and 221, "School Bus Body Joint Strength." Risk A seat belt anchor with a missing connector plate may fail to properly restrain the driver and insufficient joint strength may not adequately protect passengers, increasing the risk of injury in a crash. Fix Dealers will inspect and replace the header connectors, as necessary, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed October 21, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated November 2026. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-574-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is F1038.

Reported to NHTSA Aug 24, 2026 by Daimler Trucks North America, LLC.

What that means, in plain English

Source: WhichTrim's reading of the filing above — not NHTSA's wording

Missing seat belt anchor connector plate can cause the restraint to fail during a crash, directly reducing occupant protection in a collision.

Written for us by a language model from the manufacturer's filed text, which is quoted in full above. Where the two differ, the filing is the record and this is only our summary of it.

The fix, from the dealer bulletin

Source: NHTSA remedy instructions and dealer notice
Stop-sale Not stated in the dealer documents
Remedy Not yet available: The interim notices will be mailed on 10/21/2026

Read from NHTSA’s copy of the manufacturer’s dealer documents (manufacturer campaign F1038). The procedure itself is in the bulletin; a franchised dealer has the current copy on the manufacturer’s portal, and that copy governs. Working a lot or a fleet? Recall Watch carries this line on every VIN it checks: remedy status, hours, stop-sale.

Which vehicles are covered

Source: NHTSA campaign 26V546000

Vehicles built Jan 3, 2026 to Jun 10, 2026 — a VIN outside that window is not part of this campaign even if the year, make and model match.

Model yearOn WhichTrim
2027 Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner EFX2—
2027 Thomas Built Buses SAF-T-Liner HDX2—

None of the vehicles this campaign names has a page on WhichTrim: the catalogue covers the cars, trucks and SUVs the EPA certifies from 2016 on, and these vehicles fall outside it — older model years, or motorhomes, trailers, buses, motorcycles and chassis cabs the EPA does not rate. The campaign record above is complete as filed, and whether one specific vehicle is included is settled by its VIN. Other campaigns on vehicles without a page here →

The federal paperwork

Source: nhtsa.gov

Check one specific vehicle

A recall applies to a build range, so year, make and model cannot settle it. Type the VIN and the WhichTrim recall report checks this campaign’s build window and engine against it.

Campaign 26V546000 · the manufacturer calls it F1038

Own one, or run a fleet? Recall Watch checks each VIN against every new NHTSA campaign and emails you when one lands, this one's expansions included. Or take a free one-line alert by model year.

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A recall covers a build range. Only your VIN settles it.

Check it with the WhichTrim recall report now, or have us check it every night and email you when something new is filed.

Photo: Taiga Miyamoto / Unsplash

Common questions

Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR Part 573

Is F1038 the same recall as 26V546000?

Yes. F1038 is the number Daimler Trucks North America, LLC uses for this campaign in its own paperwork and in the letter it sends owners. 26V546000 is the number NHTSA files it under. One recall, two references — dealers and service departments generally quote the manufacturer's.

Does this recall repair cost anything?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to remedy a safety defect or a compliance failure at no charge, for vehicles up to 15 years old measured from the date of first sale. A dealer that asks you to pay for a recall repair is in the wrong.

How do I know whether my vehicle is included?

By VIN, not by model year. This campaign covers vehicles built Jan 3, 2026 to Jun 10, 2026. The manufacturer files a build range with NHTSA and only vehicles inside it are covered, so two identical-looking cars from the same year can differ. NHTSA's own lookup checks a VIN against the manufacturer's list.

What if the repair is not available yet?

It happens, and often. Manufacturers must notify owners when a defect is found even if the parts or the software are not ready, then notify them a second time once the remedy exists. This campaign was filed without a repair available — Daimler Trucks North America, LLC says so in the text above, and expected one by November 2026.

What did the manufacturer say was wrong?

The problem, risk and fix quoted on this page are the manufacturer's own words as filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR Part 573. WhichTrim does not paraphrase them.

Who started this recall?

NHTSA's record credits the manufacturer. A recall can begin with the manufacturer's own testing, with a defect investigation, or with a compliance test against a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.