RoadVitals

2001 Blue Bird Commercial

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, 2003
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.
2
Latest Oct 5, 2001
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 2001 Blue Bird Commercial, most frequently naming the heating & air conditioning category. 2 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

  • Heating & air conditioning1100.0%

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

2 campaigns 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
01V320000

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DRUM:CHAMBER

Oct 5, 2001
1,500 units potentially affected
The defect: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SCHOOL AND TRANSIT BUSES. INSUFFICIENT TORQUE ON THE ARVIN-MERITOR AIR BRAKE CHAMBER MOUNTING NUTS CAN ALLOW THE NUTS TO LOOSEN OVER TIME.
The risk: THIS CONDITION COULD REDUCE BRAKING OF THE VEHICLE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A CRASH.
The remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TORQUE VALUES ON EACH BRAKE CHAMBER NUT AND TIGHTEN TO SPECIFICATIONS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN NOVEMBER 16, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BLUE BIRD AT 1-912-822-2242.
BLUE BIRD BODY COMPANYManufacturer number R01FKView on NHTSA.gov
01V060000

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:SLACK ADJUSTERS

Feb 23, 2001
460 units potentially affected
The defect: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SCHOOL AND TRANSIT BUSES EQUIPPED WITH A COMBINATION SPICER J230 REAR AXLE, SPRING SUSPENSION, AND CREWSON BRUNNER AUTOMATIC SLACK ADJUSTERS. THE CREWSON BRUNNER SLACK ADJUSTER CONTACTS A U-BOLT MOUNTING BRACKET WHEN A COMBINATION OF THE LISTED COMPONENTS ARE INSTALLED. THE COMBINATION DOES NOT ALLOW FOR FULL EXTENSION OF THE SLACK ADJUSTER WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED.
The risk: THIS CAN CAUSE A POTENTIAL FOR REDUCED BRAKING EFFORT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
The remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL MODIFIED U-BOLT BRACKETS THAT WILL PROVIDE THE NEEDED CLEARANCE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 15, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BLUE BIRD AT 1-912-825-2021.
BLUE BIRD BODY COMPANYManufacturer number R01EMView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

Heating & air conditioning
Filed Jul 15, 2003

THE PUBLIC TRANSIT COMPANY THAT I USE TO COMUTE TO WORK FOR A 55 MINUTES EACH WAY USES BLUE BIRD BUSES. THE TRANSIT COMPANY IS YUBA-SUTTER TRANSIT BASED IN MARYSVILLE, CA. THE NEWER BLUE BIRD BUSES LACK APPROPRIATE VENTILATION. TODAY, IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 100 DEGREES, AND THE AIR CONDITIONING/VENTILATION SYSTEM FAILED TO COOL THE BUSES INTERIOR. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM, AND THE TEMPERATURE INSIDE THE BUSES GETS EXTREMELY HOT. THE PASSENGERS AND DRIVER RIDE IN THIS HEAT FOR THE BETTER PART OF AN HOUR. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS POSES A HEALTH THREAT TO PASSENGERS ,AND IT MAY WELL INHIBIT THE DRIVER'S ABILITY TO DRIVE SAFETY DUE TO POSSIBLE DEHYDRATION, HEAT-INDUCED FATIUGE AND THE IMPACT OF PROLENGED HEAT EXPOSURE TO THE DRIVER'S ABILITY TO FOCUS PROPERLY. THE BLUE BIRD COMPANY SHOULD BE REQUIRE TO RETROFIT THE BUSES TO PROVIDE AIR COOLING AND VENTILATION.*AK

NHTSA ID
10028355
Incident
Jul 15, 2003
Mileage
999,999 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.

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 Commercial by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2004010—
2003010—
2002010—
2001Viewing120—
2000030—

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.