RoadVitals

2020 Blue Bird All American School Bus

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.
4
Latest Oct 23, 2025
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.
20
Latest Oct 11, 2024
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 4 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2020 Blue Bird All American School Bus, most frequently naming the interior & seats and fuel system categories. 20 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 16 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

  • Interior & seats375.0%
  • Fuel system125.0%

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

20 campaigns cover this model year

View all 20

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
24V758000

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

Oct 11, 2024
28,479 units potentially affected
The defect: Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2019-2024 Vision and All American school buses. The emergency exit label operating instructions lettering is too small and may be difficult to read. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 217, "Bus Emergency Exits and Window Retention and Release."
The risk: An emergency exit label that is difficult to read can prevent or delay the use of the emergency exit, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy: Dealers will replace the emergency exit label, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 9, 2024. Owners may contact Blue Bird Customer Service at 478-822-2242. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R23CK (SB).
Blue Bird Body CompanyManufacturer number R23CK (SB)View on NHTSA.gov
24V543000

STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

Jul 19, 2024
16,708 units potentially affected
The defect: Blue Bird Bus Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Vision, All American Front Engine, and All American Rear Engine school buses. An exterior roof joint may have been manufactured with insufficient strength that can allow the roof panels to separate in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 221, "School Bus Body Joint Strength."
The risk: Roof panels that separate during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
The remedy: Dealers will inspect the roof panel joints and install additional rivets as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 17, 2024. Owners may contact Blue Bird customer service at 1-478-822-2242.
Blue Bird Body CompanyView on NHTSA.gov
24V078000

SEATS

Feb 7, 2024
6,691 units potentially affected
The defect: Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Vision 2020-2023 All American school buses. The convertible seats may have been incorrectly installed, which can result in an unsecured seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
The risk: An unsecured seat may not adequately restrain an occupant, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the seat, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 04, 2024. Owners may contact Blue Bird customer service at 1-478-822-2242. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R24CM-SB.
Blue Bird Body CompanyManufacturer number R24CM-SBView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

Fuel system
Filed Oct 23, 2025

The contact called about a 2020 Blue Bird BB Conventional. The contact was a bus driver for the Coweta School District and stated that while at the diesel fuel pump, diesel spilled out of the spout. The contact stated that the failure occurred after the vehicle was fueled and while closing the fuel cap. The contact stated that approximately two gallons of diesel spilled out of the spout. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked, and the following day, the contact found a diesel fuel spill on the ground. The contact stated that approximately four gallons of diesel were lost. No warning lights were illuminated. A contact notified the fleet mechanic about the issue. The mechanic informed the contact that the described incident was normal for the type of school bus and to continue driving the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure was a recurring failure, and the contact parked the vehicle, and the vehicle was no longer driven due to safety concerns. The contact stated that other bus drivers also complained about similar failures with other Blue Bird School buses. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ID
11695216
Incident
Oct 21, 2025
Mileage
100,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Oct 10, 2024

Bluebird Next Gen seats continuously break. The seat bottoms break under the weight of a high school aged kid. If the child is sitting in the seat when it breaks it could injure the child. The seat backs also break regularly.

NHTSA ID
11619122
Incident
Oct 10, 2024
Interior & seats
Filed Sep 30, 2024

I am writing to bring to your attention several persistent issues we have encountered with the Blue Bird student seating in our buses. The seat backs, constructed from a black mesh material welded at all four corners and secured with a top bar, have repeatedly failed. We have observed that nearly all of our seats have broken seat backs, necessitating multiple repairs at Central States of Lexington. Despite these efforts, we continue to find broken seat frames. This is particularly concerning as, in the event of an accident, these seats would not adequately provide the necessary compartmentalization for student safety. We are in the process of replacing the seat frames in the buses that are currently damaged, but given our experience, we believe that using the same materials will only result in further issues in the near future. To date, we have identified a total of six buses affected by this problem. The Kentucky Department of Education has conducted a review of our district's situation and expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of the seats provided by Blue Bird. This leads us to believe that this issue may not be limited to our district or state. Please advise on how you would like to proceed with the investigation of this complaint. We currently have one bus out of service at our shop, available for in-person inspection. Additionally, I can provide photographs that document the problems we have encountered with the seating in our Blue Bird buses. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. I look forward to your prompt response.

NHTSA ID
11617178
Incident
May 1, 2024
Interior & seats
Filed Sep 30, 2024

I am writing to bring to your attention several persistent issues we have encountered with the Blue Bird student seating in our buses. The seat backs, constructed from a black mesh material welded at all four corners and secured with a top bar, have repeatedly failed. We have observed that nearly all of our seats have broken seat backs, necessitating multiple repairs at Central States of Lexington. Despite these efforts, we continue to find broken seat frames. This is particularly concerning as, in the event of an accident, these seats would not adequately provide the necessary compartmentalization for student safety. We are in the process of replacing the seat frames in the buses that are currently damaged, but given our experience, we believe that using the same materials will only result in further issues in the near future. To date, we have identified a total of six buses affected by this problem. The Kentucky Department of Education has conducted a review of our district's situation and expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of the seats provided by Blue Bird. This leads us to believe that this issue may not be limited to our district or state. Please advise on how you would like to proceed with the investigation of this complaint. We currently have one bus out of service at our shop, available for in-person inspection. Additionally, I can provide photographs that document the problems we have encountered with the seating in our Blue Bird buses. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. I look forward to your prompt response.

NHTSA ID
11617177
Incident
Aug 1, 2024

Manufacturer communications

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

SM 23-01

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING; POWER TRAIN; POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES

A motor high temperature error can display on the instrument cluster when the OEM coolant valve in the closed position restricting coolant flow through the high voltage propulsion motor.

SM2202

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING; POWER TRAIN

SM2022 EV Maintenance and Service Documentation This Service Memorandum is to announce information on Cummins Power Electric buses now available at Quickserve Online. Dealer must have access to Quickserve to obtain these service maintenance and repair procedures.

SM2203

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; POWER TRAIN

SM2203: EV Recommended Starting Procedure This Service Memorandum is to announce the proper starting procedure to be followed for all Cummins EV powered units. The sequence is required due to multiple electronic modules required to wake up and start communicating over the CAN (Controller Area Network) on EV Power Train Product”.

SU2201

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Cummins recently issued Temporary Repair Practice (TRP2484) for certain vehicles with DEF sensor failures in which DEF sensor replacement parts are not available. This provides a temporary ECM calibration that inhibits engine warning messages for communication errors with the DEF sensor allowing continued operation without engine derate. Regulators are allowing for this temporary calibration to be loaded in the engine ECM by a Cummins authorized repair location if the DEF sensor fails. This temporary calibration does not repair the failure therefore a final repair must be performed and the original calibration be re-installed. Field Service has been requesting an ECM image be uploaded within the support ticket as part of the diagnostics and is carried over into Service Update 2201 (SU2201). In order to receive an authorization code and utilize Cummins TRP2484, you must follow the process, as outlined in SU2201. The specific component affected is Assembly Code: 35-300 Emissions Components.

SU1901

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Models Affected: 2010 thru 2021 All American Subject: This update provides information on the new surge tank fill necks for All American Instructions: There is a new kit available from Part Sales; 10066291 - Kit, Neck, Surge Tank. This kit is available for use with the All American & TX4 surge tanks. Remove and discard existing neck from tank Install new neck using items in Kit 10066291 Kit, Neck, Surge Tank

SM1906

POWER TRAIN

The intent of Service Memorandum SM1906 is to make Blue Bird dealers aware that Cummins has released a calibration update improvement to reduce occurrence of “Engine fault codes 3555 and 3556” on Cummins diesel engines with the following base ECM calibrations, "HC80145 thru HC80250 and HB80104 thru HC80195"

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 All American School Bus by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2027030—
2026040—
2025020—
2024040—
2023260—
20222100—
20210180—
2020Viewing4200—

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.