2009 Thomas School Bus: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2009 Thomas School Bus
Only 3 defect reports have been filed with NHTSA about the 2009 Thomas School Bus, which is too few to compute mileage percentiles or a risk score. The reports reported other body or interior problem.
When each failure gets reported
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other body or interior problem | body | 2 | 2 | — | 45k | — | 0.1 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Air conditioning failure | hvac | 1 | 1 | — | 72k | — | 0.1 | $400–$2,800 | Moderate |
This year had no usable recall paperwork, so the fleet-size estimate is the median of other years of the same model. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other body or interior problem
Student seats broken. Five out of fifteen of the seats on this bus have broken seat backs. The sheet metal backing in the interior construction of the frame is breaking around the spot welds where it is welded to the steel tube frame. There is a serious problem with these seats manufactured by syntec inc. Most busses running down the road have broken seat backs if they have not already been repaired. The seats are the safety barrier for the students in the event of a crash and this could be affecting the student safety. *tr
Air conditioning failure
Bus was in service and on route with students on board. Bus interior started filling with smoke. Driver pulled over and did an emergency evacuation of students. Subsequent investigation revealed the A/C 24 volt alt had full fielded and caused the wiring to completely melt the sheathing on the alt power wire. Backfeed through the system caused the controller to burn up inside the bus. Carrier has told us they know of this problem and they have a fix for it. This is one of at least 10 we have had happen. Sometime it burns up the condenser motors and the evap motors as well. *tr
Every year of the Thomas School Bus
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
What the reports on file say
The complaints recorded against the 2009 Thomas School Bus are other body or interior problem (2 reports, around 45k miles) and air conditioning failure (1 report, around 72k miles). With a sample this size these are anecdotes rather than a pattern, and they are shown because somebody looking at this exact car would rather see them than nothing.
Why this page is short
A model year needs about 8 reports before percentiles mean anything, and this one does not have them. Complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road, so a thin page usually means a rare car, a new car, or a car whose owners do not file.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed