← New search

2006 Thomas Built Buses FS65

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
Compare all FS65 years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

No component reports in this snapshot.

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 0 of 0 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

What owners actually said

0 reports

No matching complaints in this snapshot.

Official recalls

2

08V321000 · Equipment Adaptive/mobility

Jul 15, 2008

DAIMLER TRUCKS IS RECALLING 5 MY 2006 THOMAS BUILT FS-65 SCHOOL BUSES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN JUNE 1 AND JUNE 8, 2006, EQUIPPED WITH MAXON WHEELCHAIR LIFTS. BENDING OCCURS ON THE LOCKING BRACKET ATTACHMENTS AND IN THE RAMP EXTRUSION WHICH FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE LOADING REQUIREMENT OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 403, "PLATFORM LIFT SYSTEMS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: INJURY COULD OCCUR TO THE LIFT USER.

Remedy: DAIMLER TRUCKS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND PROVIDE A FREE REMEDY WHICH WILL BE PERFORMED BY THOMAS BUILT DEALERSHIPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 27, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT THOMAS BUILT AT 1-336-889-4871.

06V421000 · Electrical SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V Battery:cables

Nov 2, 2006

CERTAIN MY 2005 AND 2006 THOMAS BUILT FS65 AND FS65 SCHOOL BUS CHASSIS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN JANUARY 3, 2005, AND SEPTEMBER 21, 2006. THE BATTERY CABLE MAY CHAFE ON A BRACKET ADJACENT TO THE STARTER.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: CHAFING OF THE BATTERY CABLE ON THE BRACKET MAY LEAD TO A SHORT CIRCUIT, RESULTING IN A VEHICLE FIRE AND POSSIBLE INJURY TO THE OCCUPANTS.

Remedy: FREIGHTLINER WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPOSITION THE BATTERY CABLE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 16, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FREIGHTLINER AT 800-547-0712.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

EA07002 · Steering Column Weld Cracks

Opened Jan 30, 2007 · Closed Jul 12, 2007

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering; Steering:column

AS A RESULT OF THE ODI INVESTIGATION, FREIGHTLINER HAS AGREED TO RECALL (NUMBER 07V-289) ALL OF THE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED WITH STEERING COLUMNS POTENTIALLY MISSING WELDS.THE RECALL REMEDY WILL INVOLVE INSPECTING THE RECALLED VEHICLES FOR MISSING WELDS AND IF FOUND REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN.EARLY WARNING AGGREGATE DATA SUBMITTED TO NHTSA BY FREIGHTLINER SUGGESTED THAT A STEERING PROBLEM (EWR CODE 01) EXISTED FOR THE 2004 AND 2005 CENTURY AND COLUMBIA CLASS VEHICLES.THE COUNT OF FIELD REPORTS SUBMITTED FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2006 WAS HIGHER THAN THE AVERAGE OF THE PREVIOUS 6 QUARTERS FOR THE AGGREGATE STEERING DATA.ODI'S FURTHER REVIEW OF THE EWR DATA FOUNDFIELD REPORTS THAT DESCRIBED STEERING COLUMN FAILURES AS A RESULT OF STEERING COLUMN WELDS CRACKING OR BREAKING.INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM FREIGHTLINER DETAILED FAILURES OF THE STEERING COLUMNS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THESE FAILURES WERE THE RESULT OF MISSING AND CRACKED WELDS ON THE STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY.DURING TESTING OF VEHICLES CONTAINING DEFECTIVE STEERING COLUMNS, ODI DETERMINED THAT WELD FAILURES IN THE STEERING COLUMN CREATE A SITUATION WHERE THE VEHICLE BECOMES DIFFICULT TO STEER OR MAY STARTLE THE DRIVER UPON FAILING, THUS PRESENTING A SAFETY RISK.A COPY OF THE RECALL IS ATTACHED.FREIGHTLINER'S ACTION RESOLVES THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION AND, THEREFORE, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Steering:column

AS A RESULT OF THE ODI INVESTIGATION, FREIGHTLINER HAS AGREED TO RECALL (NUMBER 07V-289) ALL OF THE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED WITH STEERING COLUMNS POTENTIALLY MISSING WELDS.THE RECALL REMEDY WILL INVOLVE INSPECTING THE RECALLED VEHICLES FOR MISSING WELDS AND IF FOUND REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN.EARLY WARNING AGGREGATE DATA SUBMITTED TO NHTSA BY FREIGHTLINER SUGGESTED THAT A STEERING PROBLEM (EWR CODE 01) EXISTED FOR THE 2004 AND 2005 CENTURY AND COLUMBIA CLASS VEHICLES.THE COUNT OF FIELD REPORTS SUBMITTED FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2006 WAS HIGHER THAN THE AVERAGE OF THE PREVIOUS 6 QUARTERS FOR THE AGGREGATE STEERING DATA.ODI'S FURTHER REVIEW OF THE EWR DATA FOUNDFIELD REPORTS THAT DESCRIBED STEERING COLUMN FAILURES AS A RESULT OF STEERING COLUMN WELDS CRACKING OR BREAKING.INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM FREIGHTLINER DETAILED FAILURES OF THE STEERING COLUMNS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THESE FAILURES WERE THE RESULT OF MISSING AND CRACKED WELDS ON THE STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY.DURING TESTING OF VEHICLES CONTAINING DEFECTIVE STEERING COLUMNS, ODI DETERMINED THAT WELD FAILURES IN THE STEERING COLUMN CREATE A SITUATION WHERE THE VEHICLE BECOMES DIFFICULT TO STEER OR MAY STARTLE THE DRIVER UPON FAILING, THUS PRESENTING A SAFETY RISK.A COPY OF THE RECALL IS ATTACHED.FREIGHTLINER'S ACTION RESOLVES THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION AND, THEREFORE, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.

Steering

AS A RESULT OF THE ODI INVESTIGATION, FREIGHTLINER HAS AGREED TO RECALL (NUMBER 07V-289) ALL OF THE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED WITH STEERING COLUMNS POTENTIALLY MISSING WELDS.THE RECALL REMEDY WILL INVOLVE INSPECTING THE RECALLED VEHICLES FOR MISSING WELDS AND IF FOUND REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN.EARLY WARNING AGGREGATE DATA SUBMITTED TO NHTSA BY FREIGHTLINER SUGGESTED THAT A STEERING PROBLEM (EWR CODE 01) EXISTED FOR THE 2004 AND 2005 CENTURY AND COLUMBIA CLASS VEHICLES.THE COUNT OF FIELD REPORTS SUBMITTED FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2006 WAS HIGHER THAN THE AVERAGE OF THE PREVIOUS 6 QUARTERS FOR THE AGGREGATE STEERING DATA.ODI'S FURTHER REVIEW OF THE EWR DATA FOUNDFIELD REPORTS THAT DESCRIBED STEERING COLUMN FAILURES AS A RESULT OF STEERING COLUMN WELDS CRACKING OR BREAKING.INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM FREIGHTLINER DETAILED FAILURES OF THE STEERING COLUMNS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THESE FAILURES WERE THE RESULT OF MISSING AND CRACKED WELDS ON THE STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY.DURING TESTING OF VEHICLES CONTAINING DEFECTIVE STEERING COLUMNS, ODI DETERMINED THAT WELD FAILURES IN THE STEERING COLUMN CREATE A SITUATION WHERE THE VEHICLE BECOMES DIFFICULT TO STEER OR MAY STARTLE THE DRIVER UPON FAILING, THUS PRESENTING A SAFETY RISK.A COPY OF THE RECALL IS ATTACHED.FREIGHTLINER'S ACTION RESOLVES THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION AND, THEREFORE, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.