RoadVitals

2017 Blue Bird Conventional

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 Feb 2, 2018
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.
0
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.
1
1 injuries, 1 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 2017 Blue Bird Conventional, most frequently naming the driver assistance, engine and fuel system categories. 4 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

  • Driver assistance133.3%
  • Engine133.3%
  • Fuel system133.3%

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

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

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

Driver assistanceEngineFuel system
Filed Feb 2, 2018
Crash reported1 injury reported1 death reported

ON 12.05.17 THE INVOLVED BLUE BIRD SCHOOL BUS EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION EVENT AND DESPITE DRIVER ATTEMPTS TO SLOW THE BUS BY SHIFTING TO NEUTRAL, GEAR 1 THEN GEAR 2 AND POSSIBLY OTHER EFFORTS (WE HAVE VIDEO DEMONSTRATING THIS), THE BUS CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UNTIL COMING TO REST FOLLOWING IMPACT WITH A DITCH AND TREE RESULTING IN THE DEATH OF A 5 YEAR OLD PASSENGER. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING OPERATED ON A COUNTY DIRT ROAD. *TR *BF *TR

NHTSA ID
11066619
Incident
Dec 5, 2017
Mileage
23,307 mi

Manufacturer communications

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

Draglink01312024

STEERING

Uploading documents that will be sent out to customers to educate them about draglink maintenance.

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.

S16YJ

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

Service Bulletin: Rear Engine Exhaust Cables: Certain 2011 through 2017 model year Blue Bird All American Rear Engine school and non-school buses manufactured from June 5, 2010 through December 8, 2015, and equipped with optional Cummins diesel engines may experience failure of the 5.50? rear engine exhaust support cables. Instructions are provided for Service Bulletin S16YJ, Rear Engine Exhaust Cables.

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 Conventional by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2018200—
2017Viewing100—
2014020—
2011110—
2010130—
2009020—
2008170—
2007060—
2006080—
2005050—
2004070—
2003160—
2002070—
2001061—
2000021—
1999041—
1998040—
1997040—
1996050—
1995040—
1994040—
1993050—
1992050—
1991760—
1990050—
1989040—
1988030—
1987020—
1986010—
1985010—

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.