Blue Bird Body Company: Safety Recalls in 2005

CERTAIN 2006 MY BLUE BIRD MICROBIRD SCHOOL BUSES EQUIPPED WITH A WHEELCHAIR LIFT MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 1 AND NOVEMBER 14, 2005. THE SHIFT INTERLOCK SYSTEM WAS NOT INSTALLED DURING PRODUCTION WHICH FAILS TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NOS. 403, "PLATFORM LIFT SYSTEMS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES, AND 404, "PLATFORM LIFT INSTALLATIONS IN MOTOR VEHICLES."

CERTAIN COMMERCIAL SERIES TRANSIT BUSES EQUIPPED WITH CUMMINS ISB-02 DIESEL ENGINES BUILT WITH EMC CONTROLLED FUEL LIFT PUMPS. ERRATIC VOLTAGE SUPPLY TO THE FUEL LIFT PUMP CAUSES PREMATURE ELECTRIC BRUSH WEAR INTERNAL TO THE FUEL LIFT PUMP. THIS PREMATURE WEAR COULD RESULT IN FUEL LIFT PUMP FAILURE AND IN SOME CASES MAY CAUSE AN ENGINE STALL CONDITION.

CERTAIN 2001 THROUGH 2006 MY BLUE BIRD ALL AMERICAN, TC2000, AND VISION TRANSIT SCHOOL BUSES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN JANUARY 5, 2001, AND JULY 15, 2005. THESE BUSES ARE EQUIPPED WITH A BATTERY DISCONNECT SWITCH THAT HAS CONNECTIONS THAT MAY BE LOOSE ON THE BATTERY SWITCH STUDS CREATING THE POTENTIAL FOR THE BUS TO SHUT DOWN WHILE IN OPERATION.

ON CERTAIN COMMERCIALTRANSIT BUSES EQUIPPED WITH VAPOR DOOR ASSEMBLIES, THE TWO PIECE CURVED CONNECTING RODS WHEN USED AS AN ELEMENT OF THE DOOR ACTUATION LINKAGE IN CONJUNCTION WITH A VAPOR MEDIUM PNEUMATIC DIFFERENTIAL ENGINE, MAY BE SUBJECT TO FATIGUE FAILURE RESULTING IN BENDING OR BREAKING OF THE CONNECTING ROD.

CERTAIN SCHOOL BUSES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING STATES: ALASKA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW MEXICO, NEW YORK, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, OREGON, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH DAKOTA, TENNESSEE, UTAH, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, WYOMING, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IN EXTREMELY COLD WEATHER, THE MICROSWITCHES USED INTERNALLY TO POSITION THE STOP ARM SIGN IN THE OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS MAY MALFUNCTION, CAUSING THE SIGN TO OPEN OR CLOSE IN AN IMPROPER POSITION, OR TO NOT OPEN AT ALL.

CERTAIN BLUE BIRD 2002 THROUGH 2006 MY ALL AMERICAN, CONVENTIONAL, MINIBIRD, MICROBIRD, VISION, AND TC2000 SCHOOL BUSES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN STATES OTHER THAN THE FOLLOWING STATES: ALASKA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW MEXICO, NEW YORK, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, OREGON, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH DAKOTA, TENNESSEE, UTAH, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, WYOMING, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IN EXTREMELY COLD WEATHER, THE MICROSWITCHES USED INTERNALLY TO POSITION THE SIGN IN THE OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS MAY MALFUNCTION, CAUSING THE SIGN TO OPEN OR CLOSE IN AN IMPROPER POSITION, OR TO NOT OPEN AT ALL.

CERTAIN MY 2006 BLUE BIRD ALL AMERICAN AND VISION SCHOOL BUSES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN FEBRUARY 9 AND APRIL 15, 2005. SEAT SPACING IN FRONT OF THE SIDE EMERGENCY DOOR FLIP UP SEAT EXCEEDS THE MAXIMUM ALLOWED SPACING AS REQUIRED BY FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 222, SCHOOL BUS PASSENGER SEATING AND CRASH PROTECTION.

CERTAIN BLUE BIRD MY 2004-2006 VISION SCHOOL BUSES EQUIPPED WITH HYDRAULIC BRAKES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN MARCH 24, 2003, AND APRIL 25, 2005. THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE DASH WARNING LIGHT WAS INCORRECTLY LABELED WITH THE CANADIAN VERSION WHICH USES SYMBOLS RATHER THAN WORDS AS REQUIRED BY FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 105, HYDRAULIC AND ELECTRIC BRAKE SYSTEMS.

CERTAIN BLUE BIRD MY 2006 ALL AMERICAN FRONT AND REAR ENGINE SCHOOL BUSES MANUFACTURED FROM DECEMBER 6, 2004, THROUGH APRIL 8, 2005. THE INTERIOR SIDE WALL PANELS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE JOINT STRENGTH REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 221, SCHOOL BUS BODY JOINT STRENGTH.

CERTAIN 2001 THROUGH 2005 ALL AMERICAN, COMMERCIAL SERIES, AND Q-BUS SCHOOL AND TRANSIT BUSES EQUIPPED WITH JOHN DEERE 8.1 CNG ENGINES. THE SUBJECT BUSES EQUIPPED WITH THE JOHN DEERE ENGINES MAY SURGE INAPPROPRIATELY DUE TO ERRACTIC OPERATION OF THE AIR THROTTLE IF THE ENGINE IS TAKEN FROM FULL TO ZERO LOAD.

CERTAIN 2004-2006 MY BLUE BIRD VISION CONVENTIONAL SCHOOL AND NON SCHOOL BUSES MAUNFACTURED FROM JUNE 12, 2003, THROUGH FEBRUARY 22, 2005. A SHORT CAN OCCUR IN THE CROSSING ARM CIRCUIT OR THE 8-WAY WARNING LIGHT CIRCUIT, CAUSING THE HEAVY DUTY TRANSISTOR W/BUILT IN CIRCUIT PROTECT TO TRIP RESULTING IN AN INADVERTENT ENGINE SHUTDOWN.

CERTAIN 2002-2006 MY BLUE BIRD ALL AMERICAN SCHOOL AND TRANSIT BUSES, CONVENTIONAL SCHOOL BUSES, AND COMMERCIAL SERIES TRANSIT BUSES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN DECEMBER 21, 2002, AND FEBRUARY 24, 2005. THESE BUSES ARE EQUIPPED WITH WEBASTO COOLANT HEATERS, MODEL DBW 2010, ASSEMBLED WITH WEBASTO BURNER TUBES, P/N 303046/26533A MANUFACTURED BETWEEN NOVEMBER 2002 AND FEBRUARY 2005. THE STAINLESS STEEL BURNER TUBE IS MADE OUT OF A MATERIAL THAT IS NOT TO SPECIFICATION AND COULD FAIL PREMATURELY.

CERTAIN 1998 THROUGH 2002 BLUE BIRD ALL AMERICAN, TC2000 SCHOOL AND TRANSIT BUSES, AND COMMERCIAL SERIES BUSES EQUIPPED WITH CUMMINS ISB DIESEL ENGINES. THE FUEL PUMP COULD FAIL TO TRANSFER FUEL APPROPRIATELY CREATING AN ENGINE STALL CONDITION.

ON CERTAIN MOTOR HOMES, A CIRCUIT DESIGN RESULTED IN A 12.1 AMP CIRCUIT DRAW IN THE BRAKE LIGHT CIRCUIT WHEN IT IS PROTECTED BY A 10 AMP CIRCUIT BREAKER.

CERTAIN MY 2003 THRU 2005 BLUE BIRD MICRO BIRD AND CONVENTIONAL SCHOOL BUSES. THESE BUSES DO NOT HAVE THE TIRE LOAD RANGE ON BOTH THE TIRE INFORMATION LABEL AND CERTIFICATION DECAL AS REQUIRED BY FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 120, TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES OTHER THAN PASSENGER CARS.

CERTAIN TRANSIT BUSES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 217, "BUS EMERGENCY EXITS AND WINDOW RETENTION AND RELEASE." THE STRIKER PLATES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE EMERGENCY PUSHOUT WINDOWS CAN WEAR A GROOVE INTO THE EMERGENCY RELEASE BOLT. IF THIS GROOVE BECOMES DEEP ENOUGH, THE EMERGENCY PUSH WINDOW MAY FAIL TO OPEN AS INTENDED WHEN RELEASED.