Customer Corner : Temsa - A Busload of Shit - The Cummins Accountability Project

Welcome back to the Customer Corner, where we drag the corporate sewer into the light and kick it until it squeals. Today, we’re zeroing in on Temsa Ulaşım Araçları Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. – that’s Temsa to you and me, the Turkish bus maker that’s been churning out coaches since 1968 from their Adana headquarters. On the surface, they’re all shiny exports and eco-friendly promises, but scratch that paint job and you’ll find a rust bucket of legal scraps, alleged defects, and financial fuck-ups that would make any decent mechanic weep. And oh, they’re cosy with Cummins, that engine giant whose own rap sheet reads like a criminal manifesto, as meticulously documented by TCAP. Let’s rip this apart, piece by greasy piece, because these white-collar wankers keep skating while the rest of us choke on their exhaust.

Companies like Temsa peddle reliability to fleets and operators who depend on these beasts for livelihoods – tour groups, shuttles, city lines – but when the wheels come off, literally or figuratively, who’s left holding the bag? Not the suits in the boardroom, that’s for damn sure. They shuffle papers, settle quietly, and move on to the next grift. It’s a system rigged for the rich, and Temsa’s saga is a perfect exhibit of how the little guy gets shafted while executives toast their bonuses. We’ll confirm their ties to Cummins, dissect the partnership, and show how Temsa’s messes slot right into Cummins’ scandal-soaked ecosystem. Buckle up; this ride’s bumpy as hell.

The Cummins Connection: Powering the Problems

First off, yes, Temsa are indeed Cummins suppliers – or more accurately, loyal customers who stuff Cummins engines into their buses like they’re the only game in town. This isn’t some loose affiliation; it’s a deep integration that’s been going strong for years. Take their TS30 midi-coach, a staple in the US market: it packs a Cummins 6.7-litre B300 engine, delivering 250 horsepower and 660 lb-ft of torque, paired with an Eaton transmission for that “smooth shifting” they brag about. The TS35? Often fitted with a 2016 Cummins model, as seen in resale listings. Even their bigger rigs, like the TS45, have historically relied on Cummins powertrains, such as the ISX12 for heavy-duty hauls.

This partnership isn’t just mechanical; it’s strategic. Cummins supplies engines across Temsa’s lineup, from urban minis to long-haul coaches, emphasising low fuel consumption and “environment-conscious performance” in their catalogues. In Europe and the US, where emissions regs are tight, Cummins’ Euro VI-compliant units help Temsa market themselves as green warriors. But here’s the rub: Cummins isn’t some saintly supplier. Their ecosystem is mired in scandals, as documented exhaustively by TCAP – from emissions cheating that poisoned the air we breathe to allegations of corporate theft and fake awards that dupe investors. Temsa’s choice of bedfellow makes perfect sense; birds of a feather and all that shit. When your engines come from a company that’s paid billions in fines for dodging clean air laws, it’s no surprise your own operations reek of shortcuts and screw-overs.

Why does this matter? Because when Temsa’s buses break down or get tangled in lawsuits, it’s often the Cummins heart that’s under scrutiny – or at least part of the mess. Operators buy these vehicles expecting durability, but end up with headaches that echo Cummins’ own legacy of deception. It’s a chain of accountability that’s as weak as a rusted exhaust pipe, and the white collars at both ends laugh all the way to the bank.

The Distributor Debacle: Screwing Partners and Dodging Bullets

Let’s dive into the muck with Temsa’s ugliest public spat: the multi-year legal brawl with their former US distributor, CH Bus Sales. This shitshow kicked off in 2018 and dragged on until 2022, spanning courts from Delaware to New York like a bad road trip. Temsa had an exclusive deal with CH Bus since 2010, but things went tits up when Temsa accused them of stiffing payments for over 72 motorcoaches – we’re talking more than $15 million, plus a $1 million loan that allegedly went unpaid. Temsa terminated the agreement in March 2018, claiming unauthorised sales and other breaches.

CH Bus fired back, alleging Temsa interfered with their business, wrongfully terminated the deal, and supplied defective vehicles. It got personal: Temsa sued CH Bus execs – Michael, Olga, and John Haggerty – and their affiliate TC Nevada for misusing up to 30 Temsa-owned coaches in Las Vegas shuttles, demanding up to $9.8 million, potentially tripled to $29.4 million. There were side dramas too, like CH Bus suing a ex-employee for pinching trade secrets.

The core fight went to arbitration under the American Arbitration Association. In November 2021, the arbitrators sided with Temsa, slapping CH Bus with $17.2 million – $15.26 million for unpaid vehicles, $1 million for the loan, and nearly a million in fees. A New York federal court confirmed it in September 2022, tacking on interest. CH Bus coughed up 72 coaches in partial settlements along the way. Temsa “won,” sure, but the whole affair reeks of corporate warfare where both sides sling mud, and customers – the end users – get forgotten.

What pisses me off is how these disputes expose the rot: promises of partnership turn to poison when money’s tight. Temsa painted CH Bus as deadbeats, but allegations of interference suggest deeper games. And while the courts sorted it, white-collar pricks on both sides likely kept their salaries fat. No jail time, no real pain – just lawyers’ fees and moved-on lives. Fucking outrageous.

The Defect Disaster: Shaking Coaches and Shattered Trust

If the distributor drama wasn’t enough, Temsa faced a class action lawsuit in 2018 that alleged their buses were more vibrator than vehicle. Filed by Navaho Tour, Inc., a California charter operator, in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, it targeted Temsa and affiliates like Temsa North America, Temsa Global, and even Sabancı Holding. The beef? Defects in the TS45 motorcoaches, including excessive vibration that made them unreliable and allegedly unsafe.

Plaintiffs claimed the issues popped up right after purchase, persisting despite multiple repairs – up to six for Navaho. This led to lost business, customer complaints, diminished vehicle value, and out-of-pocket costs for fixes, hotels, and taxis. The suit accused Temsa of breaching warranties, negligent design, failing to warn, and knowingly selling lemons without disclosure. They sought class certification for other owners stung by the same problems.

Public records show the case headed to alternative dispute resolution, with a management conference in January 2019. But here’s the kicker: no big headlines on a resolution, settlement, or dismissal up to 2025. It might have been hushed up privately, which is classic corporate evasion. Allegedly, Temsa knew about these defects pre-sale but did fuck all – if true, that’s not just incompetence; it’s predatory.

This ties back to Cummins too; those engines are the power source, and vibrations could stem from integration issues. But regardless, it’s disgusting how companies ship subpar shit and leave operators to rot. White collars escape with slaps on wrists, while small businesses bleed cash. I’m seething – these bastards treat safety like an optional extra.

Financial Fiasco: Debt, Shutdowns, and Shady Sales

Temsa’s troubles hit rock bottom in late 2019 with a financial crisis that screamed mismanagement. Facing rising costs and debts around $200 million, they halted production in December, blaming market woes. Banks foreclosed on unpaid loans, seizing collaterals amid repayment rows. Temsa denied the chaos publicly, touting strong 2020 orders, but actions spoke louder: factories idled, workers sidelined.

Ownership shuffled like a shell game. Sold to Swiss fund True Value Capital Partners in May 2019 for a piddling TL 375 million (post-adjustments), it was snapped back in February 2020 by Sabancı Holding (50%) and PPF Group (50%, via Skoda Transportation) for an undisclosed sum, debts included. Production resumed, and by 2023, they boasted 252% revenue growth and booming exports.

But don’t buy the comeback narrative. This crisis disrupted US sales, overlapping with the CH Bus mess, and smacked of executive incompetence. Who pays? Not the C-suite; they engineer bailouts while debts crush suppliers and staff. It’s a pattern in Cummins’ world too – fines paid, business as usual.

Fitting into Cummins’ Filthy Footprint: A Match Made in Hell

Temsa’s controversies aren’t isolated; they’re apt for a Cummins supplier. Cummins’ ecosystem is a swamp of scandals, as documented by TCAP on tcap.blog and their Substack. Take the 2023-2024 emissions cheating bombshell: Cummins paid a record $1.675 billion fine for installing defeat devices on 600,000 Ram trucks, bypassing NOx emissions tests. They agreed to recall and repair, plus $325 million in remedies, but admitted nothing – classic dodge.

TCAP’s dug deeper: allegations of cloning AI tools from partners then ditching contracts, buying fake awards to dupe investors (ethics, disability inclusion, mental health – all paid-for props), and a $1.6 million shareholder settlement over alleged misconduct. Quiet confidence drains, cow-powered cons turning manure into marketing smoke. Cummins portrays progress, but TCAP exposes the grift: executives like CEO Jennifer Rumsey move “forward” post-fines, no real accountability.

Temsa’s legal tangles, alleged defects, and financial flips fit right in – a supplier ecosystem where corners are cut, laws bent, and the powerful evade justice. It’s enraging: these white-collar crooks pollute, deceive, and destroy, yet walk free. We need pitchforks, not settlements.

In the end, Temsa’s story is a microcosm of corporate rot. They promise the world – reliable rides, green creds via Cummins – but deliver headaches and heartaches. Until we hold these bastards accountable, the cycle spins on. Stay angry, readers; it’s the only way.

Lee Thompson – Founder, The Cummins Accountability Project

Customer Corner : Temsa – A Busload of Shit

The Cummins Connection: Powering the Problems

The Distributor Debacle: Screwing Partners and Dodging Bullets

The Defect Disaster: Shaking Coaches and Shattered Trust

Financial Fiasco: Debt, Shutdowns, and Shady Sales

Fitting into Cummins’ Filthy Footprint: A Match Made in Hell

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