2008 Blue Bird Vision School Bus Recall

On certain school buses, a starter cable may have been incorrectly attached to one of the Power Distribution Unit (PDU) studs on the chassis. The cable for the starter may have been attached to the same stud as a smaller 4 gauge battery cable. Over time the large amount of current may allow the 4 gauge cable to overheat, compromising the wire insulation which could lead to a fire resulting in injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will inspect for the correct starter cable installation and if needed, relocate.

A failure of this component (electrical) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

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.

A failure of this component (accessories) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

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 Note: This recall is superseded by recall 2015522.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: Click here for more information

A failure of this component (other) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain school buses, engine coolant can degrade causing some cooling system components to deteriorate prematurely, which could result in coolant leaks. Coolant spilt on the roadway could endanger other road users by making the roadway unexpectedly slippery. Correction: Dealers will replace the engine coolant.

A failure of this component (engine) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

Certain school buses fail to conform to the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 105 - Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems, as well as CMVSS 121 - Air Brake Systems. The instrument panel ABS indicator light does not illuminate when the ABS circuit is disconnected at the main ABS module, as prescribed by the Standard. In the event the ABS circuit disconnects from the main ABS module, the bus operator would be unaware of the failure of the ABS system and the associated reduced braking function, increasing the risk of a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will reprogram the instrument panel to illuminate the ABS indicator light when the ABS circuit is disconnected at the main ABS module.

A failure of this component (lights and instruments) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

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.

A failure of this component (fuel system) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain buses, the power cables running to the power distribution unit stud & the driver's control module stud may have been installed with the eyelet lug flat side up. Vibration may wear the insulation permitting direct contact between the bare lug power distribution unit & driver's control module, which could lead to a direct short in the electrical system. This could result in a vehicle fire causing property damage, personal injury or death. Correction: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, correct the orientation of the power cable lug.

A failure of this component (electrical) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

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.

A failure of this component (seats and restraints) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain school buses, the lid gasket on the power steering reservoir assembly may deteriorate and contaminate the power steering fluid. This could cause a loss of steering power assist, which could result in a vehicle crash causing property damage, personal injury or death. Correction: Dealers will install an updated power steering lid gasket.

A failure of this component (steering) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain school buses, incorrect bolts and/or spacers may have been installed to affix the cooling fan blade to the fan clutch. As a result, the fan blade could separate from the clutch, which may cause personal injury or death to persons in or near the front of the bus. Correction: Dealers will inspect and, if found to be incorrect, replace the fan clutch bolts and spacers.

A failure of this component (other) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain school buses, the main battery power cable may chafe against engine components at the rear of the engine. This could cause an electrical short which may result in a vehicle fire. Correction: Dealers will reroute the battery cables.

A failure of this component (electrical) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain trucks, equipped with a Caterpillar C7 diesel engine, a fuel pump outlet check plug may crack and cause fuel to spray and leak from the fuel pump which may create a fire hazard. Correction: Caterpillar dealers will replace the fuel pump plugs.

A failure of this component (fuel system) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain buses, the brake hoses from the master cylinder to the chassis frame may have been improperly routed or retained. This could allow the hoses to chafe against body and/or chassis components which could cause a leak in the hydraulic brake system. Brake fluid leakage could ultimately result in a reduction of braking capability, which could increase the vehicle's stopping distance and cause a crash with personal injury or death. Correction: Dealers will inspect and, if required, replace the brake hoses. In addition, the brake hoses will be repositioned, loom added at the appropriate location, and properly retained.

A failure of this component (brakes) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain school buses, the oil fill cap may separate from the oil fill tube allowing engine oil to be emitted from the tube. Under these conditions oil could wet the left front brake shoes/pads resulting in reduced braking capacity and may result in a situation where a vehicle crash could occur resulting in property damage, personal injury or death. Correction: In the interim, dealers will install two screws through the oil fill tube to retain the oil fill retainer insert in place. They will also inspect the left front brake shoes/pads for the presence of oil. If oil is found, both the left and right front brake shoes/pads will be replaced. Once parts become available, dealers will replace the oil fill tube assembly.

A failure of this component (brakes) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles equipped with Caterpillar C7 and C9 diesel engines, fuel pump failure can dilute the engine oil with fuel and cause the turbocharger to fail, leading to a loss of throttle control and excessive smoke. Either condition could result in a vehicle crash causing property damage, personal injury or death. Correction: Authorized Caterpillar dealers will replace the fuel pump.

A failure of this component (fuel system) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain school and transit buses, the internal rubber check valve inside the Bendix SR-7 spring brake modulating valve can become deformed over time. The effect of this defect is intermittent and presents a potential delay or failure in applying the parking brakes; potentially resulting in a vehicle roll away. Should this occur, the unattended roll away vehicle could strike a bystander or cause property damage. Correction: Dealers will install a check valve repair kit.

A failure of this component (brakes) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain school buses, the windshield wiper linkage assembly does not permit the driver's wiper to adequately clear the windshield. The reduction in swept area does not permit visibility of the driver's side crossview mirror. Correction: Dealers will replace the wiper control assembly crank arm.

A failure of this component (other) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain school buses, continuous resetting of a circuit breaker when wiper/washer is operating in the Wash/Wipe mode may cause a failure in the wiring circuit. As a result, the circuit breaker could overheat and fail causing the wipers to stop functioning. If this were to occur in severe weather, driver visibility may be reduced, which could result in a vehicle crash. Correction: Dealers will install a relay in the windshield wiper Wash/Wipe circuit.

A failure of this component (electrical) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain school buses, a temporary bolt used to secure the steering wheel, during manufacturing process, was not removed and replaced with a permanent bolt during the final assembly stage. The temporary bolt could, over time, back-out allowing the steering wheel to loosen and come-off. A loss of steering control could result in a vehicle crash with injuries or death. Correction: Dealers will remove the temporary bolt and install the correct permanent hardware and lock coating.

A failure of this component (steering) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).