BLUE BIRD Complaints

PETITION FOR THE INCOMPLETE, UNSAFE REPAIRS AND MODIFICATION TO THE 2006 BLUE BIRD WANDERLODGE 450 LXI THAT ARE BEING DONE IN AN ATTEMPT TO REMEDY THE CONDITIONS FOR THE NHTSA RECALL. *NJ THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE MOTOR HOME SUCH AS; A FIRE IN THE DASH, A BURNT INVERTER, UNSOLVED ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, EXTENSIVE HADLEY SYSTEM PROBLEMS AND A SLIDE OUT PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER STATED THE NEW RESTRICTIONS BLUE BIRD WANTS TO PLACE ON ITS OWNERS WITH REGARDS TO WEIGHT IN BAYS TRAVELING WITH 1/4 WATER AND PASSENGERS RESTRICTIONS IS UNREASONABLE. THE CONSUMER STATED HE DID NOT BUY A MOTORHOME WITH RESTRICTIONS.

PETITION FOR THE INCOMPLETE, UNSAFE REPAIRS AND MODIFICATION TO THE 2006 BLUE BIRD WANDERLODGE 450 LXI THAT ARE BEING DONE IN AN ATTEMPT TO REMEDY THE CONDITIONS FOR THE NHTSA RECALL 07V586000. *NJ THE ORIGINAL RECALL STATED THE FRONT AXLE WAS OVERWEIGHT ON THE FRONT AXLE WITHOUT CARGO, BUT WITH THE STANDARD 4 PASSENGERS AND FULL WATER. BLUEBIRD STATED THE TIRES SHOULD HAVE 130 PSI, BUT MICHELIN STATED IS SHOULD BE 120 PSI. MICHELIN STATED IF 130 PSI WAS PUT IN EACH TIRE THEY WOULD BLOW OUT EASILY. IN DOING THE MANY LEVELS OF FIXING THE RV, BLUE BIRD FOUND IT NECESSARY TO REDUCE THE NO CARGO WEIGHT OF THE MOTOR HOME IN ORDER TO SHOW APPARENT DECREASED FRONT AXLE LOAD AND TO SHOW SOME CAPACITY IN THE STORAGE COMPARTMENTS. THE UNLOADED WEIGHT HAS BEEN REDUCED TO A NON-STANDARD, 2 PASSENGER AND 1/2 TANK FRESH WATER. SOME OF THE RV'S THAT ARE BEING RELEASED AS FIXED ARE OVERWEIGHT ON THE FRONT AXLE WHEN THEY ARE WEIGHED WITHOUT CARGO BUT HAVE 4 PASSENGERS AND FULL WATER.

THIS LETTER IS AN OFFICIAL COMPLAINT AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A FORMAL PETITION REGARDING THE INCOMPLETE, UNSAFE REPAIRS AND MODIFICATIONS TO THE 2005 TO 2007 BLUE BIRD WANDERLODGE 450 LXI THAT ARE BEING DONE IN AN ATTEMPT TO REMEDY THE CONDITIONS OF THE NHTSA RECALL. THE ORIGINAL RECALL, 07V586000, INDICATED THAT THE FRONT AXLE ON THE 450 LXI COULD BE OVERWEIGHT. BLUE BIRD STATED IN SUBSTANCE THAT ITS RV WAS OVERWEIGHT ON THE FRONT AXLE WITHOUT CARGO BUT WITH THE STANDARD 4 PASSENGERS AND FULL WATER (USING PRE-2008 DEFINITION OF CCC). THE TIRE SAFETY FACTOR WAS NOT AN ISSUE IN THE RECALL BUT SURFACED WITH THE LATER COMPLAINT. THE TIE ROD WEAKNESS WAS NOT A CAUSE OF THE RECALL BUT WAS A RESULT OF THE NEED TO INCREASE THE AXLE RATING. (I.E. IT WAS ONE OF THE REMEDIES). THE TIE RODS WERE SAFE AT AN AXLE LOAD OF 16,000 LBS AND NO TIE ROD RECALL WOULD HAVE OCCURRED IF THE 16,000 LB. AXLE WAS SUFFICIENT AS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED. THE RECALL WAS BASED ON THE AXLE BEING IN EXCESS OF ITS RATING AND THE MOTORHOME COULD NOT BE SAFELY USED WITH REASONABLE LOADING AND DESIGNED PURPOSE OF THE VEHICLE. IN DOING THE MANY LEVELS OF 'FIXES', BLUE BIRD HAS FOUND IT NECESSARY TO REDUCE THE 'NO CARGO', WEIGHT OF THE MOTORHOME IN ORDER SHOW AN APPARENT DECREASED FRONT AXLE LOAD AND TO SHOW SOME CAPACITY IN THE STORAGE COMPARTMENTS. THE UNLOADED WEIGHT HAS BEEN REDUCED TO A NON-STANDARD, 2 PASSENGERS AND 1/4 TANK OF FRESH WATER. (RIVA) THE NEW BAY WEIGHT LIMIT PLACARDS ARE MISLEADING IN THAT THEY DO NOT REFLECT THE FACT THAT THEY REFER TO THE TOTAL WEIGHT IN THE ENTIRE BAY AREA, BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT SIDES AND IN THE VERTICAL AREA ABOVE THE BAY, IN THE COACH. OWNERS ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS AND MAINTAINING THESE LIMITS IS UNREASONABLE. THE LIMITS CAN BE EASILY OVERLOADED, EVEN BY PANTRY ITEMS ALONE. THE OVERLOADING OF THE FRONT TIRES IS ALSO A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE. ONE OF THE 'FIXES' WAS TO MODIFY THE HADLEY AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM SO THAT IN DRIVE MODE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BLUEBIRD VISION. WHILE EXAMINING THE VEHICLE HE NOTICED THAT THE RUBBER ON THE FLOOR BEGAN TO SEPARATE FROM THE BASE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER AND THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 8200. UPDATED 11/10/09 *CN THE CONSUMER HAS OTHER BLUE BIRD'S THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. UPDATED 11/13/09.*JB

FAILURE IN THE ATTEMPTS TO REMEDY RECALL 07V586000. *TR THE TIE ROD WEAKNESS WAS NOT A CAUSE OF THE RECALL, BUT WAS A RESULT OF THE NEED TO INCREASE THE AXLE RATING. THE TIE RODS WERE SAFE AT AN AXLE LOAD OF 16,000LBS AND NO TIE ROD RECALL WOULD HAVE OCCURRED IF THE 16,000LB AXLE WAS SUFFICIENT AS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED. THE RECALL WAS BASED ON THE AXLE BEING IN EXCESS OF ITS RATING AND THE MOTORHOME COULD NOT BE SAFELY USED WITH REASONABLE LOADING. SOME OF THE COACHES THAT ARE BEING RELEASED AS FIXED ARE OVERWEIGHT ON THE FRONT AXLE WHEN THEY ARE WEIGHED WITHOUT CARGO, BUT HAVE 4 PASSENGERS AND FULL WATER. THIS OVERWEIGHT STATE WOULD SATISFY THE CONDITIONS AND CAUSE OF THE INITIAL RECALL. UPDATED 11/04/09

A 2009 BLUEBIRD VISION SCHOOL BUS DEVELOPED A FUEL (DIESEL) LEAK AND CAUGHT FIRE. IT FULLY ENGULFED THE BUS BURNING IT TO A TOTAL LOSS. ONE SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENT, A TRANSPORTATION AIDE, AND THE DRIVER WERE ON BOARD. ALL EVACUATED SAFELY. WE RECENTLY RECEIVED 46 OF THESE BUSES (ALL CONFIGURED THE SAME) AND WE HAVE HAD 8 INCIDENTS OF FUEL LEAKS INVOLVING 6 OF THESE UNITS, NOT INCLUDING THE BUS WHICH CAUGHT FIRE. OUR DISTRICT HAS MET WITH BLUEBIRD AND CATERPILLAR (ENGINE SUPPLIER) AND LOOKED AT THE BURNED UNIT. WE ARE WAITING FOR THEIR COMMENTS FROM THIS. WE HAVE EXAMINED ALL OTHER SIMILAR UNITS FOR FUEL LEAKS AND POSSIBLE IGNITION SOURCES. REPAIRS AND CORRECTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE AS NEEDED. *TR

WICHITA FALLS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS SCHOOL BUS, CONTRACTED OUT TO DURHAM TRANSPORTATION. SCHOOL BUS NUMBER 42002, ROUTE 70. 2007 BLUEBIRD SCHOOL BUS. WE (TEACHER AIDES) WERE LOADING A CHILD IN A WHEELCHAIR ON BUS, WHEN THE WHEELCHAIR LIFT BEGAN TO FOLD UP WHILE THE WHEELCHAIR WAS STILL ON IT, I HAD TO MOVE THE WHEELCHAIR ONTO TO BUS FROM THE GROUND AND ALMOST GOT MY ARM CAUGHT IN THE FOLDING LIFT, THE WHEELCHAIR FOOT PEGS WHERE PUSHED BACK BY THE LIFT, THE AIDE ON THE BUS WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE WHEELCHAIR BACK BEFORE THE STUDENT'S FEET WERE CRUSHED. THERE WAS NOBODY AT THE CONTROLS WHEN THIS HAPPEN, THE LIFT STARTED FOLDING ON ITS OWN. IT SEEMS THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON CERTAIN WHEELCHAIR LIFTS ANTI-STOW INTERLOCK NOT ADJUSTED PROPERLY ON CERTAIN SCHOOL BUSES. REF: NHTSA ACTION NUMBER EQ08011 THE RECALL LIST SHOWS RECALLS FOR ONLY 2006 BLUEBIRD BUSES, THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE ON THE 2007 BUSES ALSO. DURHAM TRANSPORTATION CLAIMS THIS INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF THERE WAS A QUALIFIED OPERATOR OPERATING THE LIFT CONTROLS, I DOUBT IT CONSIDERING THE LIFT FOLDED WITHOUT ANYBODY AT THE CONTROLS. THE COMPANY ALSO CLAIMS THEY HAVE REPAIRED THE LIFT, BUT STILL WILL NOT DEPLOY DOWN WITHOUT PRESSING THE "DEPLOY" AND THE "DOWN" SWITCHES AT THE SAME TIME, THIS SHOWS THAT THE SENSING SWITCHES ARE STILL NOT WORKING PROPERLY. I AM FAMILAR WITH THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM, IT IS SIMILAR AIRCRAFT CARGO RAMPS LIFT SYSTEMS THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THE SIZES. I OPERATED AND USED TO TROUBLE SHOOT THE RAMP SYSTEM FOR 16 YEARS AND THEN TAUGHT THE THEORY, OPERATIONS AND TROUBLESHOOTING OF THE SYSTEM FOR 6 SIX YEARS AS AN AIR FORCE MASTER INSTRUCTOR. *TR

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BLUE BIRD WANDERLODGE LXI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS NOTIFIED MARCH 2008 ABOUT RECALL 07V586000 ABOUT AXLE WEIGHT LIMIT. THE MANUFACTURER SENT SOMEONE TO REPLACE THE FRONT TIRES AND TOLD HIM TO HAVE THE VEHICLE ALIGNED AND WEIGHED. HE DID THIS AND RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE MANUFACTURER'S POSSESSION. HE MADE SEVERAL DIFFERENT TRIPS TO THE MANUFACTURER WHO FINALLY REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, HE WAS STILL HAVING THE SAME EXCESSIVE WEIGHT ISSUE. MOST RECENTLY, THE MANUFACTURER WENT OUT OF BUSINESS. HE WAS NEVER GIVEN FINAL WEIGHT MEASUREMENTS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 17,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 12,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BLUE BIRD VISION SCHOOL BUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE DRIVER OBSERVED THAT WHENEVER THE DECREASE CONTROL MODE WAS SELECTED THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN THE ENGINE SET CRUISING SPEED. THE DECREASE SELECTION RESPONSE FAILURE OCCURRED CONTINUOUSLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS NO DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2934 AND CURRENT MILEAGE IS 7493. UPDATED 05/08/09. *LJ UPDATED 05/11/09.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 BLUE BIRD BMC MOTOR COACH. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE TO A WEIGHING STATION TO MAKE SURE THE LOAD WAS DISTRIBUTED PROPERLY. HE DISCOVERED THAT THE VEHICLE WEIGHED 3,000 LBS. OVER THE GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATIO. UPON WEIGHING THE VEHICLE, THE REAR AXLES WERE RATED AT 19,000 AND THE FRONT AXLES WERE RATED AT 12,000. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 69,870. UPDATED 1/8/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE REAR AXLES WAS UNDER-RATED FOR THE LOAD IT WAS PRODUCED TO CARRY AND THE TIRES AT THE PRESSURE RECOMMENDED WERE OVERLOADED IN THE FRONT AND REAR. UPDATED 01/14/09. *JB