About 15 minutes before Dome Valley, Ms Hooper said the bus began bouncing which initially felt funny but later became annoying and uncomfortable.
It was a standard and not the red double-decker bus.
"We waited for about half an hour before a police officer said a replacement bus was on the way as the bus we were in had problems with its airbag or suspension," she said.
Passengers could not charge their cellphones and laptops as powerpoints inside the bus were not working. Ms Hooper said when the replacement bus arrived nearly two hours later, it drove past without seeing them because a truck was parked between the faulty bus and the road.
"The driver's phone was also not charged so a passenger's phone was used to call the driver of the other bus and for him to come back and pick us up," Ms Hooper said.
"Luckily I didn't travel on Thursday because I had a job interview in Auckland. We both have sore necks and backs from the bouncing and don't think that a $10 trip is enough compensation."
Another passenger, Raylene Davis of Whangarei, was travelling with her mother and brother and vented her frustration at the company.
"They were cheap (ManaBus) but they didn't care about their passengers - by putting us in an unsafe bus," she said.
But Mr Norman said the bus was driving fine leaving Whangarei and the driver had no concerns.
"He noticed that the bus was a bit bouncy on rough sections of road over the Brynderwyns, but was otherwise fine, so he continued with the journey."
The breakdown has not stopped ManaBus services throughout the North Island.