RoadVitals

1998 Blue Bird All American

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 May 25, 2000
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.
9
Latest Feb 22, 2005
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 1998 Blue Bird All American, most frequently naming the brakes category. 9 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 2 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

  • Brakes1100.0%

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

9 campaigns cover this model year

View all 9

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
05V062000

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

Feb 22, 2005
18,891 units potentially affected
The defect: CERTAIN 1998 THROUGH 2002 BLUE BIRD ALL AMERICAN, TC2000 SCHOOL AND TRANSIT BUSES, AND COMMERCIAL SERIES BUSES EQUIPPED WITH CUMMINS ISB DIESEL ENGINES. THE FUEL PUMP COULD FAIL TO TRANSFER FUEL APPROPRIATELY CREATING AN ENGINE STALL CONDITION.
The risk: SHOULD THE ENGINE STALL WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN USE, A POSSIBLE VEHICLE CRASH COULD OCCUR.
The remedy: CUSTOMERS WILL BE NOTIFIED BY CUMMINS TO BRING THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TO HAVE THE FUEL LIFT PUMP REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CUSTOMERS MAY CONTACT CUMMINS AT 1-800-DIESELS.
BLUE BIRD BODY COMPANYManufacturer number R05JLView on NHTSA.gov
03V085000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

Mar 28, 2003
4,302 units potentially affected
The defect: ON CERTAIN SCHOOL AND TRANSIT BUSES EQUIPPED WITH CUMMINS ISB 6 CYLINDER ENGINES, THE LOWER ALTERNATOR SUPPORT BRACE OR MOUNTING HARDWARE CAN LOOSEN OR BREAK WHICH WILL ALLOW THE ALTERNATOR TO DROP ONTO THE ENGINE.
The risk: IN THIS EVENT, THE ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS MAY BE DAMAGED AND THE POSSIBILITY OF FIRE MAY EXIST.
The remedy: CUMMINS WILL NOTIFY CUSTOMERS AND REPLACE THE UPPER AND LOWER ALTERNATOR SUPPORT BRACKETS FREE OF CHARGE. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CUMMINS AT 1-800-343-7357 OR BLUE BIRD AT 478-822-2242.
BLUE BIRD BODY COMPANYView on NHTSA.gov
02V185000

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

Jul 15, 2002
408 units potentially affected
The defect: CERTAIN TRANSIT BUSES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE STANDARD NO. 101, "CONTROLS AND DISPLAYS." THIS STANDARD REQUIRES SPECIFIC LABELING FOR "ENGINE START" AND "ENGINE STOP." THE WORDING OF THE LABELS ON THESE VEHICLES DO NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.
The risk: THE OPERATOR COULD PLACE THE ENGINE SWITCH IN A POSITION OTHER THAN THAT INTENDED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
The remedy: OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH NEW DECALS AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 29, 2002. OWNERS WHO DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE LABEL AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BLUE BIRD AT 1-478-822-2242.
BLUE BIRD BODY COMPANYManufacturer number R02GBView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

Brakes
Filed May 25, 2000

BENDIX ABS ANTI-LOCK BRKING SYSTEM FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE 00V-051. NLM

NHTSA ID
552396
Incident
Apr 21, 2000

Manufacturer communications

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

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-70-LJ

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY

BLUE BIRD: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. INFORMATION ON EXCESSIVE CYCLING OF ENGINE COOLING FAN AND SHUTTER AND HOW TO INSTALL THERMO SWITCHES FOR COOLING SYSTEM AND CHARGE AIR SYSTEM. *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 All American by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
20192260—
20180190—
20170100—
20161200—
20153270—
20140260—
20131281—
20120301—
20110351—
20100421—
20093331—
20084321—
20074211—
20062152—
20051131—
200410151—
20032111—
20021141—
20011141—
20000160—
19990160—
1998Viewing190—
1997030—
1996060—
19950110—
1994090—
1993071—
19921691—
1991091—
1990091—
19890102—
1988082—
1987051—
1986050—
1985030—
1984040—
1983030—
1982050—
1981040—
1980030—
1979010—
1978010—
1977020—
1976030—
1975020—
1974050—
1973040—
1972040—
1971040—
1970030—
1969040—
1968040—
1967020—
1966010—
1965010—
1964010—
1963010—

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.