Blue Bird ALL American School BUS recalls

• Electrical#2025709December 19, 2025

  412 units affected

  Issue: On certain electric school buses, the 12 V power cables may not have been tightened properly. As a result, the cable(s) could loosen and cause a loss of power to the wheels. This could also cause the braking assist, steering assist and/or instrument cluster not to work. Safety Risk: A loss of power to the wheels could increase the risk of a crash. A loss of power brakes can cause an increase in brake pedal force and lead to an increase in stopping distance. A loss of power steering assist can cause a sudden increase in steering effort. An instrument cluster that doesn't work could cause warnings, tell-tales and gauges not to display. These issues could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Blue Bird will notify owners by mail and provide you with instructions for how to inspect and, if necessary, tighten the 12 V power cables connections. Alternatively, you may schedule an appointment to have the inspection and repairs performed at a Blue Bird dealership.

• Lights And Instruments#2025005January 8, 2025

  1 units affected

  Issue: On one school bus built with a rear engine, the wiring for the high and low beam headlamps may be reversed. As a result, the high beams may not be bright enough and the low beams may be too bright. Additionally, the high beam indicator light may not turn on when the high beams are turned on. Canadian regulations specify a minimum and maximum brightness for high and low beams, and that an indicator light turns on when the high beams are activated. Safety Risk: High or low beam headlamps that don't work correctly could cause reduced visibility and/or glare for oncoming drivers and increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Action: Blue Bird will notify the owner by mail and provide them with instructions and a repair kit to replace the jumper harness wiring. Alternatively, you may schedule an appointment to have the repairs performed at a Blue Bird dealership.

• Structure#2024415July 19, 2024

  2,007 units affected

  Issue: On certain school buses, the roof panels may not have been attached correctly. As a result, the bus may not meet Canadian regulations for roof panel joint strength, and the panels could separate in a crash. Safety Risk: A roof panel that separates in a crash could create an increased risk of injury. Corrective Actions: Blue Bird will notify owners by mail and provide you with instructions for how to inspect and, if necessary, add rivets to the joints. Alternatively, you may schedule an appointment to have the inspection and repairs performed at a Blue Bird dealership.

• Structure#2023619November 21, 2023

  104 units affected

  Issue: On certain school buses, the restraining barrier between the entrance door and the first seat may not meet the energy absorption requirements of Canadian regulations. Safety Risk: A barrier that doesn't properly absorb energy could increase the risk of injury to passengers in a crash. Corrective Actions: Blue Bird will notify owners by mail and provide you with instructions and a repair kit to properly secure the restraining barrier to the floor.

• Brakes#2018695December 12, 2018

  125 units affected

  Certain school buses may not comply with Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 105 - Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems. The parking brake may not engage, as the parking brake cable may dislodged from the foot pedal assembly. This could result in unintended vehicle movement if the vehicle's transmission is not in the PARK gear position, increasing the risk of a crash causing injury and/or property damage. Correction: Dealers will install a cable retention clip and a cable-end return spring to prevent the parking brake cable from disengaging from pedal and ensure it is properly adjusted.

• Brakes#2018209April 26, 2018

  149 units affected

  Certain school  buses may fail to conform to the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 121 - Air Brake Systems. When turning the key to the ON position, the two gauges on the instrument cluster may not display the correct air pressure for the primary and secondary air tanks. When this occurs, the air gauges would remain zeroed and would not display the actual system air pressure correctly, contrary to the requirements of the standard. Correction: Dealers will perform a software update to rectify the issue.

• Accessories#2015522November 3, 2015

  47 units affected

  On certain school buses equipped with a Ricon wheelchair lift, the lift platform sides may crack, which could cause the lift to lean against the vehicle door(s) and potentially fall out of the vehicle when the doors are opened, putting the lift operator at risk of injury. Correction: Ricon Corporation repair facilities will inspect lift platforms, link arms and bearings for cracks, damage or misalignment and if found to be damaged, link arms and/or platform will be replaced. Note: This recall supersedes recall 2014-360. Vehicles repaired under the previous recall will require re-inspection and potential repair.

• Steering#2015106March 12, 2015

  7 units affected

  On certain school buses, the steering shaft lower clamp could contact the rubber close out boot. This would increase the steering effort force necessary to steer the vehicle, which could increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will install a new clamp and reposition the rubber boot. If the rubber boot is found to be torn, the boot will be replaced. Note: This recall is an expansion of Recall 2014-212. Vehicles that were repaired under the previous campaign are not affected because that remedy would have corrected the subject condition.

• Engine#2015050February 4, 2015

  54 units affected

  On certain school buses, the exhaust system hanger may fail, possibly causing damage to the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) housings. Should this occur, the housings could separate and become a road hazard, posing a risk to motorists and bystanders. Correction: Dealers will provide new bolted hanger assemblies and support cables.

• Brakes#2014564December 11, 2014

  72 units affected

  On certain school buses equipped with hydraulic brakes, the parking brake pedal assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly and could separate, allowing the pedal to bend. If separation were to occur, the parking brake may not engage properly, which could result in injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Owners will be advised to inspect the date code found on the hydraulic park brake pedal. Assemblies found within the defective date code range will be replaced.

• Other#2014360August 22, 2014

  45 units affected

  On certain school buses equipped with a Ricon wheelchair lift, the lift platform sides may crack, which could cause the lift to lean against the vehicle door(s) and potentially fall out of the vehicle when the doors are opened, putting the lift operator at risk of injury. Correction: Ricon Corporation repair facilities will inspect lift platforms for cracks and repair as necessary, and install a repair kit. Note: This recall is superseded by recall 2015522. Please see recall 2015522 for more information: <a href="http://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/7/VRDB-BDRV/search-recherche/detail.aspx?lang=eng&&rn=2015522">Click here for more information</a>

• Fuel System#2014350August 12, 2014

  44 units affected

  On certain vehicles equipped with Cummins ISB and ISL engines, the fuel filter shell and nut plate could separate, causing a fuel leak and also causing the engine to stall. Stalling would result in a loss of motive power, increasing the risk of a crash resulting in injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will replace the fuel filter.

• Steering#2014211June 5, 2014

  182 units affected

  On certain school buses, the steering shaft lower clamp could contact the rubber close out boot. This would increase the steering effort force necessary to steer the vehicle, which could increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will relocate the clamp. If the rubber boot is found to be torn, the boot will be replaced.

• Brakes#2013465January 6, 2014

  17 units affected

  On certain vehicles, the parking brake pedal arm could fail, allowing the parking brake to release without warning. This could result in unintended vehicle movement and increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or property damage. Correction: Dealers will install a new parking brake pedal arm assembly.

• Seats And Restraints#2013413November 26, 2013

  83 units affected

  On certain school buses, the driver's seat belt may not comply with Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 209 - Seat Belt Assemblies. Due to a defect in manufacturing, the seat belt buckle may not release as required by the standard. This could hinder egress from the vehicle in an emergency, increasing the risk of injury. Correction: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace affected seatbelt buckles.

• Suspension#2013384November 4, 2013

  138 units affected

  On certain school buses, defective bolts may have been installed in the front suspension at time of assembly and may break. This would affect steering performance and could increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: All bolts marked with the "ZY" head marking will be replaced.

• Structure#2013265August 2, 2013

  7 units affected

  Certain school buses may not comply with the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 221 - School Bus Body Joint Strength. Adhesive required to meet the requirements of the standard may have been omitted from window body panel joints on vehicles equipped with optional transit-style sliding windows. This could increase the risk of injury to occupants in a crash. Correction: Dealers will install additional rivets to increase joint strength.

• Wheels#2012427December 13, 2012

  On certain school buses, the wheel rims may have been manufactured incorrectly and could fail. A wheel separating from the vehicle could cause a loss of control and a crash. In addition, the errant wheel assembly could strike a vehicle, stationary object, or a bystander. These issues could result in property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the wheel rims. Note: Further evaluation revealed that no Canadian vehicles are involved.

• Seats And Restraints#2012233July 25, 2012

  78 units affected

  On certain school buses, the driver's seatbelt may have been installed with a mismatched buckle. The latch plate (tongue) on one style buckle may mate to another style buckle receiver, but the latch plate may not be properly engaged. Failure of the seatbelt to restrain the occupant would increase the risk of personal injury during a crash. Correction: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the latch plate (tongue) portion of the seatbelt assembly.

• Other#2011423December 5, 2011

  6 units affected

  Certain school buses fail to comply with the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 301 – Fuel System Integrity. Testing showed that the fuel return line could rupture following a vehicle crash, resulting in fuel spillage in excess of the allowable limit defined by the Standard. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will install a protective loom onto the fuel lines.

• Engine#2011308August 19, 2011

  150 units affected

  On certain school buses equipped with a Cummins engine, the V-band clamps used to connect the inlet and outlet cone sections to the Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) / Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) include a T-bolt which can fracture and fail when subjected to stress or load. A fracture or failure of the T-bolt may cause the clamp to loosen and the inlet or outlet sections attached to the DOC/DPF housing to disconnect. Should this occur, hot exhaust gases can vent prior to exiting the tailpipe, creating a risk of combustion or damage to adjacent materials, which could result in a vehicle fire. If both clamps fail, the DOC/DPF housing could detach completely, separate from the vehicle, and strike another vehicle, stationary object, or bystander. These issues could result in property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Cummins will install updated V-band clamps.

• Other#2011066February 14, 2011

  47 units affected

  On certain school buses, the sheet metal rain visors over the pushout side window on the left side of the bus may prohibit the emergency exit window from opening sufficiently to meet the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 217 - Bus Window Retention, Release and Emergency Exits. In the event of an emergency, passengers may not be able to quickly exit the bus, which could increase the risk of personal injuries. Correction: Dealers will inspect the windows for proper clearance. If a window is found to be contacting the rain visor, sufficient material at the edge of the rain visor will be removed to permit proper clearance. The exposed edge of the rain visor will then be primed and painted.

• Electrical#2010281August 18, 2010

  603 units affected

  On certain school buses equipped with a Cummins ISB-02, ISB-07 or ISB-10 engine, an incorrect combination of hardware was installed on the bolt that secures the starter cable retaining clamp to the bracket at the front of the engine above the cooling fan. Over time, the serrated nut may back off allowing the starter cable to fall and contact the fan hub while in operation. If the starter cable contacts the fan hub while the fan is in operation, the cable covering may abrade, which could result in a direct short and a vehicle fire. Correction: Dealers will replace the flat washer and serrated lock nut.

• Seats And Restraints#2010279August 16, 2010

  600 units affected

  On certain buses, the driver's seat shock damper may break allowing the driver's seat to unexpectedly drop to the floor without warning. In the event this situation should occur while the bus is in operation, the driver may lose control of the vehicle, possibly resulting in a crash causing property damage or personal injury to occupants of passengers or pedestrians. Correction: Dealers will replace the seat shock if necessary.

• Fuel System#2010224July 12, 2010

  426 units affected

  On certain school buses equipped with a Caterpillar C7 diesel engine, the number 5 and 6 fuel lines may crack at the fastening point to the common fuel rail, causing a high pressure fuel leak. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will replace the affected fuel lines.

• Steering#2010222July 7, 2010

  4 units affected

  On certain D3 All American school buses, the weld around the steering shaft tube, which joins the splined tube to the non-splined intermediate tube, may be mislocated. An improperly located weld bead may allow the splined tube and non-splined tube to rotate relative one another during a low speed, high torque turn, resulting in a possible separation of the tubes. This could cause a loss of steering control which could result in a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the steering shaft.

• Accessories#2010218July 1, 2010

  687 units affected

  On certain D3 All American and Vision school buses, the cruise control system may not deactivate when the brake pedal is applied. This could result in a crash causing property damage, personal injury or death. Correction: Dealers will install a "failsafe" wiring circuit in the cruise control system.

• Other#2010158May 12, 2010

  18 units affected

  On certain school buses, the Ricon lift for public use "model-L" Series S K may be defective. These lifts are designed to rise and stop automatically at the vehicle floor level as the operator presses the "UP" button. However, if the operator releases the "UP" button before the lift has stopped by itself, the elevator may continue to rise and eventually store itself which can tilt the platform prematurely. This could cause personal injury to a person riding on the platform. Correction: New software will be provided and installed.

• Other#2010157May 12, 2010

  69 units affected

  On certain school buses equipped with a Ricon F9 series cassette wheelchair lift, an improperly manufactured switch in the wheelchair lift restraint buckle may allow operation of the lift with the safety belt not fully latched. If the belt is not properly fastened, a wheelchair may not be adequately protected against unwanted movement, resulting a fall risk, potentially causing serious injury or death. Correction: The manufacturer will provide instructional information and warning decals.

• Lights And Instruments#2010111April 8, 2010

  71 units affected

  On certain school buses, the wiring harness for the rear tag light may be of insufficient length, resulting in the harness being routed improperly and exposing the connector to the environment. This situation could cause the connector to corrode and create a direct short in the tag light circuit. A short in the tag light wiring circuit, which includes the headlight low beam circuit, could cause sudden loss of headlights while the vehicle is in operation, and could impair the driver's vision resulting in a crash causing property damage, personal injury or death. Correction: Dealers will modify the tag light wiring connector to prevent corrosion at the connector.

• Structure#2010063March 3, 2010

  2 units affected

  On certain school buses, adhesive was inadvertently omitted on the interior rear bulkhead panels. As a result, the bulkhead panels may not comply with CMVSS 221 - School Bus Body Joint Strength. In the event of crash, occupant safety may be affected. Correction: Panels will be removed, adhesive applied and reinstalled.

• Electrical#2010052March 1, 2010

  2 units affected

  On certain school buses, the battery cables may have been improperly routed and may get pinched between the front bottom of the battery compartment box and the exhaust muffler mounting bracket. This situation could cause an electrical short and result in a vehicle fire causing property damage or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, reroute the battery cables.

• Other#2010028February 1, 2010

  42 units affected

  On certain school buses, adhesive for the inside panels adjacent to the rear center emergency door was inadvertently omitted from the joints. Without the required adhesive, in the event of a crash there is an increased risk of personal injury or death to the bus occupants. Correction: Dealers will removed affected panels, adhesive will be applied and panels re-installed.

• Seats And Restraints#2010016January 26, 2010

  3,118 units affected

  On certain school buses, incorrect offset leg barrier pads or a 2/3 seat back pads may have been installed during vehicle asembly. In case of a crash, the safety of the occupants may be affected and could result in personal injury. Correction: Owners will be notified to inspect vehicles to determine if incorrect pads were installed. Replacement pads will be provided for those equipped with incorrect pads.

Canadian data updated August 24, 2026