More than 50,000 school buses have been recalled nationwide due to a safety issue involving the seats, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
According to the NHSTA, the seats' lack of absorption increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Manufacturer Daimler Trucks North America LLC is recalling 28 affected buses. They include four different models with production dates between 2014 and 2020. The number of potential school buses affected is 53,528, according to the NHSTA.
The recalled models are listed below:
| THOMAS BUILT BUSES | MINOTOUR | 2014-2020 |
| THOMAS BUILT BUSES | SAF-T-LINER C2 | 2014-2020 |
| THOMAS BUILT BUSES | SAF-T-LINER EFX | 2014-2020 |
| THOMAS BUILT BUSES | SAF-T-LINER HDX | 2014-2020 |
"The seats may have been manufactured with styrene blocks that may not provide sufficient impact absorption in certain specific areas around the steel seat frame of the back support," the recall issued in early October states. "As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 222, ' School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection.' "
DTNA will notify owners and dealers to "install additional impact material between the re-bond back and the vinyl back cover to increase the amount of absorption, free of charge."
The recall is expected to begin December 2.
