2013 Blue Bird Vision School Bus Recall

On certain school buses, the parking brake may not have been adjusted correctly. As a result, the parking brake may not apply enough force to hold the bus when parked. Under certain conditions, like while parked on an incline, this could allow the bus to roll away.

A parked bus that moves unexpectedly could increase the risk injury and/or a crash.

You should park the bus on a level surface and properly chock the wheels until the hand brake assembly has been inspected. Blue Bird will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to an authorized repair facility to have the floor-mounted hand brake assembly inspected and adjusted, as necessary.

On certain school buses, the hydraulic brake lines and/or transmission shifter cable may have been incorrectly routed and could come into contact with surrounding components. If the brake lines were too close to the exhaust manifold, they could fail prematurely, resulting in hydraulic brake fluid leaking onto the manifold, and longer braking distances, increasing the risk of a crash. If the transmission shifter cable were to rub against the engine fuel supply line, it could result in a fuel leak. Both leaking brake fluid onto a hot surface and a fuel leak could increase the risk of fire causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will install a bracket to insulate the brake lines from heat and reroute the transmission shifter cable away from the fuel lines.

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 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).

Certain school buses fail to conform to Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 207 - Anchorage of Seats and CMVSS 210 – Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages. Incorrect fasteners may have been used to secure the seat gusset reinforcement to the side wall, causing the seats to fail to meet the requirements of the standard. Correction: Dealers will inspect for proper mounting fasteners, and if found to be incorrect, install an additional gusset reinforcement bracket.

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 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 propane-powered school buses, the fuel return line may fatigue and crack, causing a fuel leak. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire causing injury and/or property damage. Correction: Dealers will replace the return fuel lines and add additional support clamps.

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 propane-powered school buses, the aluminum fuel line fitting at the propane tank can experience dissimilar metal corrosion where it contacts the brass supply housing on the fuel tank. This could result in a propane leak, which in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire causing property damage and/or injury. Correction: Dealers will replace the aluminum fuel line fitting at the fuel tank with a new stainless steel fitting.

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 buses, the fastener which secures the drag link to the steering arm may not have received adequate tightening torque during vehicle assembly. This could all the drag link to disconnect, which could result in a loss of steering capability. A loss of steering control could result in a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will tighten the drag link fastener to specifications.

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, the brake light switch may have been incorrectly adjusted during vehicle assembly. Also, the brake light switch mounting bracket may deform during a “hard” return of the brake pedal. Both issues could prevent the brake lamps from illuminating when the brakes are applied, which would result in the following road users being unaware of the driver’s intentions, increasing the risk of a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will replace the brake light switch and the mounting bracket with updated versions.

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, 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.

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 electronic module which activates the hydraulic brake pressure indicator lamp on the dash instrument panel (when there is little or no pressure in the hydraulic brake system) may have been omitted during vehicle assembly. Since the warning lamp will not indicate a loss of pressure in the hydraulic brake system, the driver may not be aware of the subsequent reduced braking capacity, which could increase stopping distances, possibly resulting in a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, install an electronic brake module.

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).

Certain school buses fail to comply with the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 217 - Bus Window Retention, Release and Emergency Exits. Specifically, the force required to operate the emergency roof hatch may exceed the allowable limit. 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 install a repair kit to update the roof hatch mechanism.

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).