2016 Thomas Built Buses FS-65: common problems

The maker issued 21 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Technical service bulletins (TSB): 21

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Equipment	0	0	12
Engine and cooling	0	0	3
Fuel system	0	0	3
Engine	0	0	2
Powertrain	0	0	2
Electrical system	0	0	1

Comparison

What to check before buying

Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.

Manufacturer service bulletins

Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.

received by NHTSA in 2020–2024 · № 10193155 · Powertrain Thomas Built Buses Product Awareness Bulletin on Allison Transmission 7 Year Warranty, Addendum
received by NHTSA in 2020–2024 · № 10193153 · Powertrain Thomas Built Buses Product Awareness Bulletin on Allison Transmission 7 Year Warranty
received by NHTSA in 2015–2019 · № 10128813 · Equipment 14TL5 ABS Power Line Carrier Converter Available Through PDC
received by NHTSA in 2015–2019 · № 10128812 · Engine 14TL2 DD Platform Engine Stand Adapter W060589023100
received by NHTSA in 2015–2019 · № 10128811 · Fuel system 14TS19 DD Platform High Pressure Fuel Lines
received by NHTSA in 2015–2019 · № 10128809 · Fuel system 713-14 Symptom Diagnostics - Combustion Gas in Coolant
received by NHTSA in 2015–2019 · № 10128808 · Engine and cooling 715-14 Symptom Diagnostics - Coolant Los
received by NHTSA in 2015–2019 · № 10128807 · Engine 714-14 Symptom Diagnostics - Low Engine Compression
received by NHTSA in 2015–2019 · № 10128806 · Engine and cooling 712-14 Engine Coolant Temperature
received by NHTSA in 2015–2019 · № 10128789 · Equipment 14-028 Remy Extended Coverage Direct File
received by NHTSA in 2015–2019 · № 10128788 · Equipment 14-027 Detroit's New Consolidated Labor Operations (CLOs
received by NHTSA in 2015–2019 · № 10128786 · Equipment 14-025-DLR TBB - Changes to PDI Requirements & PDI Claims

NHTSA lists 21 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.

Other years of this model

FS-65 201720 sources

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2016 Thomas Built Buses FS-65?

There are no owner complaints in the NHTSA data for this year; the data comes from 21 manufacturer service bulletins.

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2016 Thomas Built Buses FS-65?

NHTSA lists 21 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2016 Thomas Built Buses FS-65 from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2016 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.