BLUE BIRD Complaints

1999 BLUE BIRD SCHOOL BUS 23 PASS TYPE C M88472 10003615 HYDRULIC DRIVERS SEAT BOUNCE UNCONTROLING TWISTS SNATCHES BROKEN SEAT SPRINGS. *TR

TL*THE SCHOOL OWNS A 2008 BLUE BIRD VISION SCHOOL BUS. THE SCHOOL BUS WAS INSPECTED BY THE DEALER BECAUSE IT WAS VIBRATING. WHILE DRIVING GREATER THAN 60 MPH, ONE OF THE FRONT WHEELS WOULD RUB AGAINST AND RUPTURE THE BRAKE LINE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 3,422.

SIR, THIS A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE PUBLICATION OF THE RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 07V586000. AS YOUR SITE INDICATES THAT CCW AND BLUE BIRD KNEW OF AN OVERWEIGHT ISSUE IN SEPT.2007. THE RECALL OF DECEMBER 2007 BASED ON A TIE ROD WEAKNESS APPEARS TO BE A DIVERSION FROM THE UNSAFE AND IMMEDIATE PROBLEM OF SIGNIFICANTLY OVERWEIGHT FRONT AXLE AND THE RV'S WERE STILL ALLOWED TO BE DRIVEN. TWO OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE CRASHED WITH FRONT TIRE FAILURES: BOTH WRITE-OFFS AND ONE FATAL. THE UPDATED SUMMARY DOES NOT YET SHOW THE EXTENT AND DANGER OF THE VEHICLE. THE AMENDED DEFECT NOTICE(PART 573) - 3-11-2008 SHOWS AN INVALID REMEDY AS THE FRONT AXLE WEIGHT IS OVER 17,000 POUNDS IN MANY CASES. ONLY THE ATTACHMENTS IN THE OWNER NOTIFICATION LETTER(PART 577) SHOW THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM. THE SUMMARY SHOULD HAVE MORE INFORMATION THAT OVERWEIGHT IS THE MAJOR CONCERN AND THAT A NEW 18,000 POUND AXLE IS BEING DESIGNED AND IS REQUIRED. IT SHOULD ALSO BE POINTED OUT THAT THE 315/80X22.5 TIRES ARE MINIMUM FOR A 17,000 POUND AXLE. A 4% PRESSURE DROP TO 124 PSI IS INSUFFICIENT FOR THE 17000 POUND LOAD. NOTE THAT INTERNAL RV AIR SYSTEMS AND MOST SERVICE STATIONS CANNOT GO OVER 120 PSI. SINCERELY, ROSS MACKILLOP *TR

2007 AND NEW BLUEBIRD BUSES WITH BAD BRAKE HOSE. CONSUMER STATES THAT THIS HOSE COULD BE CRUSHED OR CUT BY THE SHARP EDGE OF THE BUS BODY. HE STATES THAT THIS WOULD CAUSE THE BUS TO BE UNSAFE TO USE. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE BUS WAS MANUFACTURED WITH THE BRAKE HOSE TOE-WRAPPED TO THE TRANSMISSION FILL TUBE. *JB

I AM A ALASKA STATE SCHOOL BUS INSPECTOR. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE HAD ANY REPORTS ON THE RICON LIFTS MODELS SS5510 UPRIGHT ARMS BENDING AND OR CRACKING. DURING OUR INSPECTIONS IN THE FALL OF 07 AND NOW OUR INSPECTIONS SO FAR IN 08 , WE ARE FINDING A OVER WHELMING AMOUNT OF THESE ARMS BENT AND OR CRACKED. THEY ARE BEING REPLACED AT NO COST BY RICON, HOWEVER, IF ONE OF THESE ISSUES IS NOT NOTICED IN TIME DURING OPERATION THE ARM COULD BRAKE INTO, DUMPING THE OCCUPANT ONTO THE GROUND OR PAVEMENT. THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED IN OUR STATE AS FAR AS I KNOW YET. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN AT ANY TIME. THEY ARE REPLACING THE ARMS WITH THE SAME ONES ISSUED WITH THE UNITS WHEN NEW. THEY (RICON) SAY IT IS JUST BEING REPORTED WITHIN OUR STATE. MAYBE IT IS A DEMOGRAPHIC ISSUE, NEVER THE LESS , SHOULD THEY (RICON) NOT COME UP WITH A FIX FOR THE PROBLEM?. PLEASE HELP ME. DANNY *TR

MY CHILD GOES TO FRANCIS ASBURY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND RIDES BUS #128. THESE CHILDREN ARE PUT 3 TO A SEAT AND HANG IN THE AISLE. THE SITUATION HAS GOTTEN WORSE. YESTERDAY (JANUARY 16TH, 2008) THE BUS WAS SO OVERCROWDED, THE FIRST SEAT WAS SAT 4 TO A SEAT. WHEN IS IT SAFE TO SIT THAT MANY CHILDREN TOGETHER?! I CALLED THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS BEING DONE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THIS WAS NOT A PROBLEM. THAT IT WAS ALRIGHT ACCORDING TO NHTSA STANDARDS. I JUST READ YUR STANDARDS AND IT STATES EXACTLY WHAT I THOUGHT. "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION IS PROVIDED BY A PROTECTIVE ENVELOPE CONSISTING OF STRONG, CLOSELY-SPACED SEATS THAT HAVE ENERGY-ABSORBING SEAT BACKS. PERSONS NOT SITTING OR SITTING PARTIALLY OUTSIDE OF THE BUS SEATS WILL NOT BE AFFORDED THE OCCUPANT PROTECTION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL BUS SEATS." THIS IS A CONTINUING PROBLEM EVERY DAY THAT NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED. IS THERE NOTHING YOU CAN DO OR DO I HAVE TO WAIT FOR AN ACCIDENT TO OCCUR BEFORE ANYONE WILL DO ANYTHING TO PROTECT THESE CHILDREN? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BLUE BIRD ALL AMERICAN. THE DIESEL ENGINE LIFT PUMP LEAKS DOWN ONTO THE STARTER AND EXHAUST. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE FROM CUMMINGS REGARDING THE WARRANTY AND EXPLAINED THAT THE LIFT PUMP HAD BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES IN ONE YEAR. THE REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE AND THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE LIFT PUMP. THE ENGINE SIZE, NUMBER OF CYLINDERS, AND POWERTRAIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 27,975.

BUS WAS USED 14 DEC FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS WHEN WE WENT TO SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN, IT WOULD NOT. TO GET THE ENGINE STOPPED HAD TO DISCONNECT THE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERIES BEFORE ENGINE STOPPED. ALL PASSENGERS HAD BEEN UNLOADED, BUS NOW IS SCHEDULED INTO MAINTENANCE FOR TROUBLESHOOTING. *TR

RIGHT REAR AIR LINES GOING TO BRAKE CHAMBER MELTED WHEN BUS WENT INTO REGENERATION MODE. THE BUS HAD 25 STUDENTS AND COACHES ON IT AT THE TIME. THE AIR BRAKES APPLIED AND THE BUS WAS STUCK ON THE ROAD AT THE TOP OF HILL BY A BLIND CURVE AT 7:00 PM. *TR

TL*THE SCHOOL BUS IS A 2004 BLUEBIRD A3FE. THE BUS WAS TAKEN TO THE CATERPILLAR DEALER BECAUSE OF A WARRANTY ISSUE ON THE ENGINE. THEY STATED THAT WHEN THE DRIVELINE ON THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT WELDED PROPERLY. THEY STATED THE FOLLOWING TWO PARTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED PART# 815782-5507 LOT # V 200303010307JLC PART# 905073-3306 LOT # V200303010311. THE ENGINE SIZE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 36,500. THE TUBE AND FLANGE HAD TURNED WITHIN ITSELF. THE FLANGE WAS FITTED INSIDE THE TUBE AND WELDED. UPDATED