2018 Blue Bird Vision School Bus Recall

On certain school buses equipped with a propane (LPG) engine, a connection on the fuel return line could rust. If this happens, fuel could leak. Note: This recall is an expansion of Transport Canada recall no. 2022-433.

A fuel leak can create the risk of a fire.

Blue Bird will notify owners by mail and provide them with instructions for how to replace the fuel return line. Alternatively, you may schedule an appointment to have the repairs performed at a Blue Bird dealership.

On certain school buses, a connection at the end of the fuel line could become damaged. As a result, fuel could leak. Note: This recall only affects school buses equipped with a Ford 6.8 L gasoline engine.

A fuel leak can create the risk of a fire.

To reduce the safety risk, Blue Bird advises you to inspect the fuel line for leaks until the recall repairs have been completed. Blue Bird will notify owners by mail and provide you with instructions for how to inspect and, if necessary, replace the fuel line. Alternatively, you may schedule an appointment to have the inspection and repairs performed at a Blue Bird dealership.

On certain school buses equipped with a Ford 6.8 L propane (LPG) engine, the right-hand parking brake lever cable may come in contact with the propane fuel supply line. Over time, this could cause damage to the line and result in a fuel leak.

A fuel leak can create the risk of a fire.

The fuel line should be inspected for signs of contact and wear before using the bus. Blue Bird will notify owners and dealers by mail and provide them with instructions for how to inspect the fuel line for damage, and replace them as necessary. Blue Bird will also provide hardware to secure the fuel lines and parking brake cable.

On certain school buses equipped with a propane (LPG) engine, a connection on the fuel return line could rust. If this happens, fuel could leak.

A fuel leak can create the risk of a fire.

Blue Bird will notify owners by mail. The corrective actions for this recall are under development.

On certain school buses equipped with a Ford 6.8 L gasoline engine, the optional right-hand mounted parking brake lever cable may come in contact with the fuel supply line. Over time, this could cause damage to the line and result in a fuel leak.

A fuel leak can create the risk of a fire.

The fuel line should be inspected for signs of contact and wear before using the bus. Blue Bird will notify owners and dealers by mail and provide them with instructions for how to inspect the fuel line for damage. They will also provide hardware to secure the parking brake cable so that it cannot contact the fuel line.

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, an incorrect seat barrier was installed behind the driver's seat. Additionally, a reinforcing bracket may not be installed below the floor. As a result, an occupant seated behind the barrier may not properly protected in a crash. Note: This recall only affects school buses built with a driver's seat that has an integrated 3-point seat belt.

An incorrect seat barrier or barrier that is not correctly reinforced could increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Blue Bird will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your bus to a dealer to inspect the seat barrier behind the driver's seat. The dealer will ensure that the proper barrier and reinforcing bracket are installed. If the correct components are not in place, the barrier will be replaced and the barrier reinforcing bracket will be installed.

Certain school bus seats may not have the tether anchorage point required for installing a child seat.

A child seat that is not properly installed could create an increased risk of injury in a crash.

The company will notify owners by mail. Owners will be sent the missing anchorage parts and instructions for their installation.

A problem with the left-rear brake caliper on certain school buses may cause the brake pads to drag and overheat. This could result in high temperatures, smoke, odour, or a possible fire.

A fire could increase the risk of injury. This could also result in an emergency evacuation in an uncontrolled environment, which could also increase the risk of an injury.

The company will notify owners by mail and instruct them to take their vehicle to an authorized repair facility to replace the left-rear brake caliper.

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, the alternator cables may contact and chafe against the air conditioning support bracket or vehicle structure. This could damage the wires and cause an electrical short, potentially causing the engine to stall without the ability to restart and could increase the risk of a fire causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will inspect and re-position the alternator cables as necessary to ensure proper clearance.

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 Gen4 Ford engines and with optional brake and throttle interlock, a software problem may cause the throttle interlock system not to block the activation of the throttle as intended. In this situation, an application of the throttle pedal could cause unintended movement of the bus, even though the interlock is active and the service brakes are applied. Correction: Dealers will update the software for the Smart Relay Module (SRM) to remedy this condition.

A failure of this component (powertrain) 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 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.

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 Gen 4 propane fuel system, the propane fuel control valve solenoid coils could be defective. This could cause the engine to potentially stall while the vehicle is in motion, which would result in a loss of vehicle propulsion. This could increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Roush CleanTech will deploy resources to replace the fuel control valve solenoid coils.

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).