RoadVitals

2008 Blue Bird A3RE

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
1
Latest Jul 15, 2014
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Oct 17, 2013
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 2008 Blue Bird A3RE, most frequently naming the body & structure and suspension categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 5 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Body & structure150.0%
  • Suspension150.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
13V504000

SEATS

Oct 17, 2013
402 units potentially affected
The defect: A-Z Bus Sales, Inc. (A-Z Bus) is recalling certain model year 2005-2013 Blue Bird A3RE and D3RE school buses equipped with C.E. White-brand flip seats.
The risk: When a Flip Seat is installed in front of another passenger seat, it is possible for the occupant of the rearward passenger seat to insert their toes and/or foot into the lower frame area of the Flip Seat. When a vehicle passenger occupies the Flip Seat, pushing the seat bottom downward to the horizontal position to sit in the seat, the occupant of the rearward seat could suffer a pinch point injury to their toes and/or foot.
The remedy: A-Z Bus Sales will notify the school bus owners of the safety recall. A-Z Bus Sales will install a safety guard to cover the gap in the lower frame of the flip seat. Owners can contact A-Z Bus at 1-800-437-5522 or C. E. White at 1-419-492-2157 for more information.
A-Z Bus Sales, Inc.View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Body & structureSuspension
Filed Jul 15, 2014

VEHICLE MODELS EQUIPPED WITH HENDRICKSON AIR-RIDE FRONT SUSPENSIONS HAVE PROPENSITY TO FLEX AND CRACK THE MAIN FRAME RAILS WHERE THE FRONT SUSPENSION MOUNT FOR THE FRONT AXLE ATTACHES TO THE FRAME. THE FRAME RAIL IS UNSUPPORTED AT THE SUSPENSION MOUNT, CAUSING THIS FAILURE TO OCCUR UNDER NORMAL USE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10610733
Incident
Apr 10, 2014
Mileage
121,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

SM1608

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

New Blue Bird Support Center - Technical Bus Support: Dealer memo to announce the new on-line Blue Bird Support Center for technical bus support requests.

SM1601

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Blue Bird Troubleshooting Guides: Blue Bird announcement of the addition of troubleshooting guides for assisting in the service of the Blue Bird products. These troubleshooting guides are available on the Vantage website.

SB-S-10-SE

SEATS

BLUE BIRD BUS: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. ON SOME REAR ENGINE BUSES, THE CENTER LEG OF C. E. WHITE STUDENT SAFETY SEAT, MISSING THE REQUIRED MOUNTING BOLT. *PE

SB-S-10-RS

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

BLUE BIRD BUS: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. THE LOW HORSEPOWER ENGINES MUFFLER OR DIESEL PARTICULATE FILTER (DPF), WAS INSTALLED, INSTEAD, ON BUSES WITH HIGH HORSEPOWER ENGINES. *PE

SB-S-07-LN

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

BLUE BIRD: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. THE CHARGE AIR COOLER (CAC) HAS ALTERNATOR POWER CABLE ROUTED TO CLOSE, WHICH COULD RESULT IN MELTING OF SHRINK WRAP AT CONNECTOR EXPOSING IT TO ELEMENTS. *PE

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Blue Bird A3RE by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2013010—
2012010—
2011010—
2010010—
2009010—
2008Viewing110—
2007010—
2006010—
2005010—
2004000—
2003100—
2002100—
2001000—
2000000—
1999000—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.