Blue Bird Body Company is recalling certain 2018-2022 All American and Vision school buses

Jul 14, 2022 — Recall Campaign #22V505000

Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2018-2022 All American and Vision school buses equipped with Cummins PD7000 Electric Drivetrains containing an electric air compressor. The air compressor housing is improperly grounded, causing electrical voltage greater than 50V AC during operation.

The recall was influenced by the manufacturer with about 482 units affected.

See recall notice

NHTSA Safety Recall Notice

22V505000

Manufacturer:	Blue Bird Body Company
Recall date:	July 14, 2022
NHTSA Campaign #:	22V505000
Units affected:	482

Description:: Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2018-2022 All American and Vision school buses equipped with Cummins PD7000 Electric Drivetrains containing an electric air compressor. The air compressor housing is improperly grounded, causing electrical voltage greater than 50V AC during operation.
Consequeces:: An improperly grounded air compressor can cause electric shock, increasing the risk of injury.
Corrective action:: Dealers will install an electrical ground strap between the compressor motor housing and vehicle chassis, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 6, 2023. Owners may contact Blue Bird's customer service at 1-478-822-2242. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R22BY-SB.
Notes:: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Affects the following:

2019 BLUE BIRD ALL AMERICAN Complaints
I am writing to bring to your attention several persistent issues we have encountered with the Blue Bird student seating in our buses. The seat backs, constructed from a black mesh material welded at all four corners and secured with a top bar, have repeatedly failed. We have observed that nearly all of our seats have broken seat backs, necessitating multiple repairs at Central States of Lexington. Despite these efforts, we continue to find broken seat frames. This is particularly concerning as, in the event of an accident, these seats would not adequately provide the necessary compartmentalization for student safety. We are in the process of replacing the seat frames in the buses that are currently damaged, but given our experience, we believe that using the same materials will only result in further issues in the near future. To date, we have identified a total of six buses affected by this problem. The Kentucky Department of Education has conducted a review of our district's situation and expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of the seats provided by Blue Bird. This leads us to believe that this issue may not be limited to our district or state. Please advise on how you would like to proceed with the investigation of this complaint. We currently have one bus out of service at our shop, available for in-person inspection. Additionally, I can provide photographs that document the problems we have encountered with the seating in our Blue Bird buses. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. I look forward to your prompt response.;
2022 BLUE BIRD ALL AMERICAN SCHOOL BUS Complaints
The contact's employer owns a 2022 Blue Bird Conventional. The contact stated that upon further inspection, it was noticed that the battery arms were fracturing at the frame of the bolts. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign: 17V100000 (Structure); however, the VIN was not included. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 101,928.;