- The problem
- Vehicle description: school buses. These buses fail to meet the 60 percent joint strength requirements of fmvss no. 221, "School bus body joint strength."
- The risk
- In the event of a vehicle crash, the roof may not be supported sufficiently, causing personal injury to bus occupants.
- The fix
- Owners will be contacted and advised to inspect each roof joint. Owners will install repair rivets in each joint found to have insufficient quantity of rivets in each examined 8 inch section.
Vehicle safety record
1997 Blue Bird Conventional Problems, complaints & recalls
No owner complaints about the 1997 Blue Bird Conventional have been filed with NHTSA. It is covered by 4 recalls, the latest in August 2000 for the body.
NHTSA data checked
CAbout as many problems as a typical Conventional year, for its age
- Complaints
- 0
- Recalls
- 4
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Deaths
- 0
1997 Blue Bird Conventional recalls 4
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- Vehicle description: school buses. The wall side attaching bolts for some of the passenger seats may have been installed too close to the edge of the seat ledge and in the wrong attaching hole resulting in weakening of the seat ledge at the attachment points.
- The risk
- In the event of a frontal crash, the rear attaching bolt of these seats could pull out of the seat ledge increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant.
- The fix
- Blue bird will furnish to distributors and owners, parts and instructions necessary to strengthen the passenger seat attachment at the wall side.
- The problem
- Vehicle description: school and transit buses mounted on chassis equipped with an option for three batteries. The battery cables may not have been routed properly allowing the cable to be chafed or pinched.
- The risk
- This condition can cause the positive cable to short out creating the potential for a fire.
- The fix
- Dealers will plug the hole in the back of the battery compartment that is located directly behind the battery hold down clamp. A new hole will be added directly below the rearmost battery cable hole and the positive cable will be re-routed through the new hole.
- The problem
- Vehicle description: school buses mounted on navistar chassis. The standard cross view mirror assemblies installed on these buses do not conform to the requirements of fmvss no. 111, "Rearview mirrors."
- The risk
- The school bus driver may not be able to see certain portions of the bus, increasing the risk of a crash or personal injury to persons near the bus.
- The fix
- Blue bird will furnish to distributors and owners, parts and instructions necessary to modify the cross view mirror assemblies.
What owners say
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No complaints about the 1997 Blue Bird Conventional yet
No owner has filed a complaint about this vehicle with NHTSA. If yours has a problem, share it here and report it to NHTSA.
Blue Bird Conventional: every year compared
All Conventional years1997 Blue Bird Conventional vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 Blue Bird Conventional | 0 | 4 | C | |
| 1997 Blue Bird Buses | 1 | 0 | B | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 1997 Blue Bird Conventional
Does the 1997 Blue Bird Conventional have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 1997 Blue Bird Conventional: body (August 2000); seats (June 1999); cables (February 1999); exterior (January 1999). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
How many complaints has the 1997 Blue Bird Conventional had?
None have been filed with NHTSA so far.
Is the 1997 Blue Bird Conventional a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 50 out of 100 (grade C: about as many problems as a typical Blue Bird Conventional year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Blue Bird Conventional years have the most complaints?
1991 (7), 2018 (2), 2003 (1). See every Blue Bird Conventional year compared.
What should I do if my 1997 Blue Bird Conventional has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data