Recall Summary
| Recall number | 26V702000 |
| Issued by | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration |
| Date | 2026-10-22 |
| Company | Daimler Trucks North America, LLC |
| Units affected | 13,593 |
| Severity | Not classified |
Remedy: Dealers will add fasteners to secure the joints, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 21, 2026. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-574-0712. DTNA’s number for this recall is F1044.
Read the official National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recall notice
daimler trucks recall 26V702000 covers 13,593 school buses. Daimler Trucks North America, LLC filed the recall with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on October 22, 2026. The affected vehicles are 2025 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 models. The problem involves joints in the bus body that may not be strong enough. As a result, the bus may not protect passengers well in a crash. This matters to parents, school districts, and fleet operators, because these buses carry children every school day.
What the Daimler Trucks Recall Covers
The daimler trucks recall covers one model year and one bus line: the 2025 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2. Thomas Built Buses is a school bus brand owned by Daimler Trucks North America. The C2 is a conventional Type C school bus. Type C buses are the most common style of school bus in the United States. So this recall reaches a large share of newer school fleets.
The recall lists 13,593 units. That number is the group of vehicles the manufacturer believes may be affected. Not every bus in a recall group always has the defect. However, every bus on the list should still get the repair. Recall groups are often drawn broadly on purpose, so that no affected vehicle is missed.
The agency details used for this guide do not list build dates or VIN ranges. They also do not say which states or regions received the buses. Buses like these are usually sold through dealers to school districts and private contractors. Some go to churches, camps, and youth programs. If your organization bought 2025 C2 buses, treat them as possibly included until a VIN check says otherwise.
Most owners are fleets, not individual drivers. As a result, the people most affected may never see a recall letter. Students, drivers, and parents rely on the fleet owner to act. Parents can ask their school district or bus contractor whether its buses are part of this daimler trucks recall. That is a reasonable question to ask.
The Hazard and Reported Injuries
A school bus body is built from panels and structural parts that are joined together. Those joints must hold in a crash. Federal safety standards set minimum strength rules for school bus body joints. The goal is simple: the body should stay in one piece and keep passengers inside a protected space.
According to NHTSA, the affected buses may not have enough joint strength. A bus with weak joints may not protect passengers properly in a crash. In general, a weak joint can let body panels pull apart during a collision. That can reduce the protection the body is meant to give. As a result, the risk of injury goes up. This daimler trucks recall fixes the problem by adding fasteners to the joints.
The agency record does not say whether any injuries have been reported. This guide makes no claim either way. The severity is also listed as “not classified.” Do not read that label as a sign the risk is small. It only means the record contains no classification.
| Recall Number | 26V702000 |
|---|---|
| Issuing Agency | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration |
| Date | October 22, 2026 |
| Company | Daimler Trucks North America, LLC |
| Product | 2025 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 |
| Units Affected | 13,593 |
| Severity | Not classified |
| Manufacturer Recall Number | F1044 |
Joint problems usually can’t be seen or felt during normal driving. The bus may ride, steer, and brake normally. The weakness may only matter in a crash. That is why the free repair is important even if the bus seems fine. A problem you can’t see is easy to ignore, but it still needs fixing.
What To Do If You Own This Product
First, check whether your bus is included. Enter its 17-character VIN in NHTSA’s online recall lookup tool. You can also read the official notice for this daimler trucks recall here:
Fleet managers with many buses can ask their dealer to check VINs in bulk. This saves time for large districts.
The repair itself is simple. Dealers will add fasteners to secure the joints, free of charge. Owner letters are expected to be mailed on December 21, 2026. However, you don’t have to wait for the letter. You can contact a Thomas Built dealer now to ask about parts and scheduling. Repairs may start once parts are available.
Owners can call DTNA customer service at 1-800-574-0712. Give them DTNA’s recall number, F1044, and mention NHTSA campaign number 26V702000 as well. Having both numbers ready usually makes the call faster. You can also report safety concerns to the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.
Should you stop using the bus? The agency summary does not include a do-not-drive warning. Owners should follow the manufacturer’s instructions once letters arrive. Fleets may want to schedule repairs during school breaks to limit disruption. Keep a written record of every repair. Parents can ask the district to confirm that affected buses were fixed under the daimler trucks recall.
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Does a Daimler Trucks Recall Mean You Can Sue?
A recall is not a lawsuit. It is a safety action. The manufacturer finds a problem and offers a fix, and NHTSA oversees the process. No court is involved, and no one is found legally responsible. Many people confuse the two, but they are very different.
A daimler trucks recall alone does not give anyone a legal claim. Owning or riding a recalled bus is usually not enough. A claim generally needs an actual injury. It also needs proof that the defect caused that injury. As a result, the facts of each crash matter a great deal.
This guide has not found any lawsuit tied to this recall. The situation may be different if a child or driver was hurt in a crash involving an affected bus. Depending on the facts, you may be eligible to explore a claim. School bus cases can be complicated. They may involve districts, contractors, manufacturers, and special government rules.
If you think you have a case, talk to a licensed attorney in your state. Many offer free consultations. Strict filing deadlines, called statutes of limitations, apply to these claims. Claims against public school districts may have even shorter notice deadlines. No article can promise a result. An attorney can review crash reports, medical records, and repair history.
How Recalls Connect to Mass Tort Cases
Recalls sometimes become evidence in later lawsuits. For example, Philips Respironics recalled millions of CPAP and BiPAP machines in June 2021. The recall involved sound-reducing foam that could break down. Lawsuits followed and were combined in federal court in Pennsylvania. In 2024, Philips agreed to a personal injury settlement of about $1.1 billion. Lawyers used the recall filings to help show what the company knew and when it knew it.
Takata airbags are another example. Faulty inflators led to the largest auto recall in U.S. history, with tens of millions of inflators recalled. Takata pleaded guilty to a federal fraud charge in 2017. However, those cases rested on real injuries, deaths, and evidence beyond the recall itself. A daimler trucks recall today does not mean a similar case will follow. Each recall stands on its own facts.
In general, plaintiffs may use recall documents to show that a defect existed. Defect reports and chronologies can show when a company first learned of a problem. Courts decide how much weight that evidence gets. A recall can support a case, but it rarely proves one on its own.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which vehicles are included in the daimler trucks recall?
The recall covers 2025 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 school buses. NHTSA lists 13,593 affected units under recall number 26V702000. Check your VIN on the NHTSA website to confirm whether a specific bus is included.
Is the repair free, and when will owners be notified?
Yes. Dealers will add fasteners to secure the joints at no cost. Owner letters are expected to be mailed December 21, 2026, and owners can call DTNA at 1-800-574-0712 about recall F1044.
Can I file a lawsuit because of this daimler trucks recall?
Not on the recall alone. A recall is a safety action, not a legal claim. If someone was injured and the defect may have caused it, a licensed attorney can explain whether you may be eligible to pursue a claim.
Were You Injured by a Recalled Product?
A recall by itself is a safety action, not a legal claim. However, if a recalled product caused a real injury, you may be eligible to pursue compensation. A licensed attorney can review your situation at no upfront cost — most work on contingency, meaning you pay nothing unless you recover.
Official Sources & Resources
Verify every recall against the issuing agency before acting:
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: official recall database — the record of truth for this notice
- CPSC: cpsc.gov — household goods, toys, furniture, appliances
- FDA: fda.gov — food, drugs, and medical devices
- NHTSA: nhtsa.gov — vehicles, tires, and child car seats
- USDA FSIS: fsis.usda.gov — meat, poultry, and egg products
Content last reviewed November 2026. This is general educational information, not legal advice. If you notice outdated information, please contact us.
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Attorney Advertising. The information on this page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. A product recall is a safety action by a manufacturer or regulator and does not by itself establish liability or create a legal claim. No attorney-client relationship is created by accessing or using this content. Every case is unique. If you believe you were harmed by a recalled product, consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction.