BLUE BIRD Complaints

WE PURCHASES 10 NEW BLUE BIRD ALL AMERICAN SCHOOL BUSES THROUGH OUR LOCAL AUTHORIZED DEALER,WITHIN A MONTH OF RECEIVING THE 10 UNIT THEY START PRESENTING CODE 368 RED FAILURE , CAUSING LOSS OF POWER, WHITE SMOKE AND STALLING, THIS WAS REPORTED TO THE DISTRIBUTOR AND THEY REPLACED FUEL FILTERS AND SUGGESTED THAT THERE WAS HUMIDITY IN THE ECM. THIS SAME CODE FAILURE HAS OVERCOME ALL OF OUR UNIT IN THE LAST PAST 3 YEARS TO THE EXTENT THAT NOW WE ARE FACED WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF THE VP44 FUEL INJECTION PUMP A VERY COSTLY INVESTMENT FOR UNIT THAT HAVE EXTREMELY LOW MILEAGE (AVERAGE OF 35,000 KMS). WE HAVE FOLLOWED A VERY STRICT PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE FOR ALL OUR UNITS ACCORDING TO THE MANUALS SUPPLIED THUS AFTER SUSPECTING THAT THERE COULD BE A MANUFACTURER PROBLEM WE STARTED INVESTIGATING OVER THE INTERNET AND EFFECTIVELY WE FOUND THAT THE CUMMINS 225 ISB MOTORS HAVE A HISTORY OF THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM WHICH RELATED TO THE LIFT PUMP FAILURE ,THERE ARE SEVERAL RECALLS OUT FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT THERE ARE NON YET THAT COVER OUR UNIT, SO WE CONSIDER IT IMPORT THAT ALONG WITH ANY OTHERS OF THE SAME MALFUNCTIONING UNITS WE CAN HAVE A RECALL CONSIDERED. *JB

I AM A SCHOOL BUS DRIVER FOR WEST MILFORD BOARD OF EDUCATION. DURING THE PAST SCHOOL YEAR WHENEVER MY BUS WAS IN FOR SERVICE I WAS TO DRIVE BUS 206. THIS BUS HAS A DEFECT WITH THE DRIVERS SEAT IT HAS AN AIR SEAT WHICH BOUNCES YOU ALL OVER THE PLACE AND SLAMS YOU BACK DOWN CAUSING YOU TO BANG VERY HARD INTO THE FLOOR AND THEN SPRINGS YOU BACK UP LIKE A JACK IN THE BOX. THE ONLY WAY I CAN DRIVE THIS BUS IS TO DRIVE WITH ALL THE AIR OUT OF THE SEAT AND THEN I HAVE TO SIT ON PILLOWS TO BE ABLE TO SEE OUT OF THE WINDOW. HOWEVER, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO HOLD ONTO THE STEERING WHEEL AND NOT JERK IT WHEN THIS HAPPENS. EVERYONE DRIVES THIS SPARE BUS VERY SLOWLY BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW SLOW YOU GO OR HOW SMALL THE BUMPS IN THE ROAD ARE THE SEAT STILL THROWS YOU AROUND. THIS SEAT HAS BEEN LIKE THIS FOR A VERY LONG TIME, BUT NO-ONE WILL DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I FIND THIS SEAT TO BE VERY DANGEROUS AS IT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AT ANY TIME OR INJURY TO THE DRIVER. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THE OFFICE SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST AND BY SEVERAL DIFFERENT DRIVERS, BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE ABOUT IT, AND IF WE TRY TO REFUSE TO DRIVE IT WE ARE GIVEN A HARD TIME ABOUT IT BY THE SUPERVISOR AND TOLD THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT AND THEN SENT HOME WITHOUT PAY FOR THE DAY. *NM

I WORK FOR THE WEST MILFORD BD. OF EDUCATION DRIVING A SCHOOL BUS. MY REGULAR BUS WAS OUT OF SERVICE AND I WAS ASSIGNED BUS 206 WHICH HAS A DRIVER SEAT DEFECT. IT HAS BEEN REPORTED NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE PAST YEAR BY MANY OTHER DRIVERS, HOWEVER, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE ABOUT IT. MANAGEMENT AND MECHANICS HAVE GIVEN A RANGE OF ANSWERS SUCH AS THEY ARE FULLY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT IT CAN'T BE FIXED, TO IT HAS BEEN FIXED, TO THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. THE SEAT WHICH IS AN AIR SEAT, VIOLENTLY BOUNCES UP AND DOWN SLAMMING YOU ON THE FLOOR OF THE BUS CAUSING LOSS OF VISION OUT OF WINDSHIELD FOR A SECOND THEN JERKING YOU UP AGAIN AND YOU MUST HANG ON SO TIGHTLY TO THE STEERING WHEEL THAT YOU JERK THE WHEEL AND COULD POSSIBLY VEER OFF THE ROAD OR INTO THE OTHER LANE OF TRAFFIC. THE SEAT BELT GIVES NO SUPPORT BECAUSE IT IS NOT ATTACHED TO THE FLOOR, IT IS ATTACHED DIRECTLY TO THE SEAT. AS A RESULT OF MY DRIVING THIS BUS I AM NOW OUT ON WORKMANS COMPENSATION BECAUSE MY ROTATOR CUFF WAS INJURED FROM THIS BUS. SOME DRIVERS HAVE WRITTEN STATEMENTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, HOWEVER OTHERS WILL NOT BECAUSE THEY FEAR RETRIBUTION FROM MANAGEMENT. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE SCHOOL BUS CONTINUED TO STALL OUT AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING. THERE WAS A RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID # 05E007000 CONCERNING THE FUEL SYSTEM HOWEVER; THE RECALL REPAIR DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER EXTENDED THE WARRANTY OF THE PART REPLACED IN THE RECALL. THIS PROBLEM PERSISTED ON A FLEET OF SCHOOL BUSES COVERED BY THE RECALL.

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

DT : THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE CUMMINGS ENGINE. HAS TO TAKE ONE BUS AT A TIME TO DEALER FOR RECALL REPAIRS. THE CONSUMER HAS SIXTEEN BUSES. THE ABOVEMENTIONED BUS HAS BEEN THERE SINCE SEPTEMBER 9, 2005, AND HAS BEEN THERE FOR TWENTY DAYS. HAS THIRTEEN MORE BUSES, AND THE CONSUMER NEEDS TO TAKE THEM TO DEALER FOR RECALL REPAIRS . THE DEALER SAYS THEY LOST THE FUEL CODE AND THEY CANNOT GET THE FUEL CODE FROM THE DISTRIBUTOR. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY ARE SAYING THE SAME THING. *AK

DT: THE CALLER RECEIVED RECALL ON CUMMINS ISB ENGINE THAT INVOLVED ENGINE STALLING AND FUEL SUPPLY TO THE ENGINE. BUT COULD NOT GET THE WORK DONE. THIS COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF POWER. THE RECALLS INVOLVED FUEL PUMP AND FUEL PRESSURE SWITCH REPLACEMENT. THE CALLER HAD A TOTAL OF 6 RECALLS, AND FIRST TOOK ONE OF THE BUSSES TO THE FRIEGHTLINER DEALERSHIP, AND THEY REPAIRED ONE, BUT INSTRUCTED THE CONTACT NOT TO BRING ANYMORE BACK. ALSO, THE CONTACT CONTACTED CUMMINS, WHO REFERRED HIM TO THE PETERBUILT DEALER, BUT THEY ADVISED THE CALLER THAT THEY WON'T DO THE WORK BECAUSE CUMMINS WAS NOT PAYING FOR THE REPAIRS. THEY STATED THAT CUMMINS WAS ONLY PAYING FOR 3 HOURS OF LABOR AND IT TOOK ABOUT 8 HOURS OF LABOR TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT HAD ONE BUS AT AN AUTHORIZED CUMMINS DEALER IN ANOTHER CITY, AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHEN THEY WILL BE ABLE TO REPAIR IT, AND WON'T BE ABLE TO REPAIR ANYMORE. OWNER IS CONCERNED THEY WON'T BE REPAIRED AND WILL HAVE TO BE USED EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE RECALLED. THERE WERE SIX BUSES, AND THE CONTACT DID NOT WISH TO FILE A COMPLAINT ON EACH INDIVIDUAL VEHICLE. *AK

1. EVENTS LEADING TO FAILURE WERE NONE, BUS WAS RUNNING FINE AND JUST STOPPED 2. THE SCHOOL BUS WAS BEING USED ON A REGULAR ROUTE AND JUST QUIT RUNNING WHILE GOING DOWN THE ROAD WITH NO WARNING. 3. WE HAD TO REPLACE BOTH THE ELECTRIC LIFT PUMP AS WELL AS VP-44 INJECTOR PUMP VEHICLE IS NOW UNDER RECALL #05E-007 FOR REPLACEMENT OF LIFT PUMP AND POSSIBLY THE VP-44 INJECTOR PUMP. MY COMLAINT REVOLVES AROUND THE FACT THAT CUMMINS WILL NOT REIMBURSE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR THE VP-44 PUMP THAT WAS REPLACED ON 11/15/2004 DUE TO FAILURE THAT I FEEL IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE CURRENT RECALL. I FEEL THAT THEY SHOULD REIMBURSE USE FOR PARTS THAT WERE PUT ON THE VEHICLE TO CORRECT PROBLEM THAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY FIXING. JUST BECAUSE OUR PROBLEM OCCURRED 7 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE OFFICIAL RECALL SHOULD NOT ALLOW THEM TO GET OUT OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPLACMENT.

DT: CONSUMER STATES: BRAKES WENT OUT ON MOTOR COACH WAS GOING DOWN HILL AT 25 TO 30 MPH, NOTHING HAPPENED, PULLED SERVICE LEVER THE MECHANICAL BRAKES CAME ON AND STOPPED IT. NOTICED AIR PRESSURE KEPT DROPPING AND WAS ABOUT 90 LBS OF PRESSURE. *AK A TECHNICIAN CHECKED THE SYSTEM BUT FOUND NOTHING WRONG. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THE BRAKE SYSTEM IS FAULTY OR IS NOT ADEQUATE TO STOP THE COACH. *NM

WHILE STEERING THE BUS, THE STEERING COLUMN FAILED TO MOVE ON ITS OWN. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL DETAILS. *JB