1997 Blue Bird School Bus Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1997 Blue Bird School Bus, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Body & structure125.0%
- Driver assistance125.0%
- Fuel system125.0%
- Exterior lighting125.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
EIGHT (8) OF OUR DISTRICT OWNED BLUEBIRD TC 2000 SCHOOL BUSES HAVE BODY CRACKING PROBLEMS. THESE BUSES RANGE FOR 1997 TO 2003 YEAR MODELS. ALL BUSES HAVE EXPERIENCED CRACKING AT THE REAR PILLARS, ROOF BOWS AT THE SIDE WINDOWS, AND AT THE FRONT ENTRANCE DOOR AS WELL AS EMERGENCY EXITS. WITHIN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS OF SERVICE. ALL BUSES HAVE BEEN REPAIRED AS PER BLUEBIRDS SPECIFICATIONS, AT PROFESSIONAL BODY SHOPS. AT LEAST FOUR TIMES, YET THE BODIES CONTINUE TO CRACK. WE ARE NOT THE ONLY SCHOOL DISTRICT HAVING THESE PROBLEMS, I KNOW OF ONE OTHER LOCAL DISTRICT THAT IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM AND HAVE HEARD THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHERS. BLUEBIRD IS BECOMING MORE RELUCTANT TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM IN A TIMELY MANNER. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE INTEGRITY OF THE ROOF STRUCTURE ON THESE BUSES, ESPECIALLY AFTER WHAT "WE" HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH THE CARPENTAR BUSES.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
DT*: THE CONSUMER STATED THE BACK UP ALARM AND REVERSE LIGHTS DID NOT OPERATE PROPERLY WHICH RESULTED IN A FATALITY. WHEN THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE, THERE WERE NO BACK UP LIGHTS OR AUDIBLE WARNING AND SUBSEQUENTLY A BUS DRIVER WAS STRUCK. THE PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT TAKEN AT THE SCENE. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
FLEX FUEL LINE FROM RIGHT REAR TANK TO STEEL LINE FAILED CAUSING LOSS, OF FUEL, UNABLE TO HAVE REPAIRED UNDER RECALL DUE TO A LACK OF PARTS. (QCAW)
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
DT*: THE CONSUMER STATED THE BACK UP ALARM AND REVERSE LIGHTS DID NOT OPERATE PROPERLY WHICH RESULTED IN A FATALITY. WHEN THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE, THERE WERE NO BACK UP LIGHTS OR AUDIBLE WARNING AND SUBSEQUENTLY A BUS DRIVER WAS STRUCK. THE PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT TAKEN AT THE SCENE. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .