BLUE BIRD Complaints

DRILL HOLE PLUG CORRODED WHILE DRIVER WAS USING WC LIFT TO LOAD CHILDREN AT LOCAL BUSINESS RESULTING IN COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKES AND STEERING. BUS WAS AT REST STUDENTS WERE THAN EVACUATED AND TRANSPORTED IN DIFFERENT BUS. THIS BUS IS USED EVERYDAY, WITH NO WARNING OF THE CONDITION.

BETWEEN 0920 AND 0940 HRS ON 26 MARCH 2016, BUS WAS TRANSPORTING 15 SOLDIERS TO VICTORY RANCH AND HEAR A LOUD NOISE. ONE SOLDIER STATED NOISE WAS A TIRE. DRIVER PULLED OFF ROAD AWAY FROM TRAFFIC AND NOTICED THE BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. ANOTHER LOUD NOISE AND ONE OF THE SOLDIERS SAID IT WAS A FIRE. DRIVER STATED THE BUS FINALLY ALLOWED HIM TO BRAKE AND HE INSTRUCTED THE SOLDIERS TO EXIT THE BUS AND CALL 911. ...UPDATED 07/13/16 *BF ....UPDATED 07/26/16 *BF...UPDATED 08/15/16 *BF

FACTORY DRILL PORT PLUG CORRODED AND FAILED ALLOWING ALL POWER STEERING/ BRAKE BOOST FLUID TO LEAK. NO WARNING PRIOR TO EVENT. IMMEDIATE LOSS OF FLUID AND WITH THAT BRAKE BOOST AND STEERING. THE BUS WAS AT LOW SPEED WHEN THIS OCCURRED BUT STILL ENDED UP ON THE SIDEWALK OF OUR SCHOOL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BLUE BIRD WANDERLODGE M450 LXI RV. IN 2010, THE RV RECEIVED A PARTIAL REPAIR ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 07V586000 (POWER TRAIN). IN 2016, THE OTHER PORTION OF THE REMEDY WAS PERFORMED, WHICH INCLUDED THE APPROPRIATE REPLACEMENT OF THE FRONT TIRES. THE STEERING WHEEL STUDS WERE ALSO REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS DISPLEASED THAT HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LABOR COST, WHICH WAS NOT MENTIONED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN A WAY WHERE IT DOES NOT COMPLY WITH 49 CFR 393.83(D) EVEN THOUGH THE MANUFACTURER CERTIFIED THE VEHICLE COMPLIED WITH ALL APPLICABLE FEDERAL LAWS AT THE TIME THE VEHICLE WAS BUILT. THE OEM CONFIGURATION OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEM ALLOWS SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN TO INHALE DIESEL EXHAUST FUMES THROUGH THE LEFT SIDE PASSENGER WINDOWS.

WHILE THE VEHICLE BEING USED IN A PURPOSE AS CERTIFIED BY THE MANUFACTURER (TO TRANSPORTING K-12 STUDENTS HOME TO SCHOOL/SCHOOL TO HOME AND SCHOOL RELATED ACTIVITIES), THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY OFFICERS OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE TRANSPORT AND CITED FOR A VIOLATION OF 49 CFR 393.83(D). AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION IS WAS FOUND THE MANUFACTURER BUILD THE VEHICLE IN A WAY WHERE IT DID NOT COMPLY WITH 49 CFR 393.83(D) EVEN THOUGH THE MANUFACTURE CERTIFIED THE VEHICLE COMPLIED WITH ALL APPLICABLE FEDERAL LAWS AT THE TIME THE VEHICLE WAS BUILT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BLUE BIRD CONVENTIONAL. WHILE AT A STOP SIGN, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THERE WAS SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND A FIRE ERUPTED. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE CHILDREN EXITED THE BUS WITH THE DRIVER'S ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

SCHOOL BUS HAS COOLANT LEAKS INSIDE THE PASSENGER, ENGINE COMPARTMENTS AND ON THE GROUND OUTSIDE THE BUS. THIS BUS HAS GONE BACK TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND STILL LEAKS COOLANT. CHILDREN ARE EXPOSED TO HOT COOLANT INSIDE THE BUS AND FLOORS ARE SLIPPERY, ALSO ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES WITH OUTSIDE LEAKS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BLUE BIRD ALL AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V510000 (EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT FELT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

WE HAVE BLUE BIRD BUSSES WITH CE WHITE STUDENT SAFETY SEATS WITH THREE POINT SEAT BELTS. THE SEAT BACKS HAVE STYROFOAM IN THEM FOR SOME OF THE PADDING THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE BIGGER STUDENTS DON?T FIT IN THE SMALL SPACE BETWEEN SEATS AND THEIR KNEES BREAK THE STYROFOAM UP AFTER A SHORT TIME, LEAVING THE FOAM BROKE UP IN LITTLE PIECES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEAT. I DON?T THINK THESE ARE FMVSS 222 COMPLIANT WITH THE STYROFOAM IN THE BOTTOM ONE THIRD OF THE SEAT. WE PURCHASE NEW ONES BUT THEY ARE THE SAME THING AND BREAK UP AFTER A SHORT TIME. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO BLUE BIRD AND CE WHITE AND SENT PICTURES. THEY SAID THEY WILL LOOK INTO IT AND THE SEAT IS UNDER WARRANTY FOR ONE YEAR. MY LAST CORRESPONDENCE WAS MARCH 6TH OF 2013; THEY STILL SELL THE SAME CUSHION. THERE NEEDS TO BE A DIFFERENT MATERIAL BESIDES STYROFOAM FOR THE PADDING IN THESE SEAT BACKS. *TR