Blue Bird Body Recall 00V219000 (26K Vehicles)

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.

Contacts

Owner notification began december 18, 2000. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact blue bird at 1-912-822-2242. Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).

What to do

Check your VIN. Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls - it shows whether this recall applies to your vehicle and whether the repair has been done.
Call a dealer. Any authorized Blue Bird dealer will do the repair free, whether or not you bought the vehicle there. Quote campaign 00V219000.
Ask about parts and a loaner. If parts aren't available yet, ask what to do in the meantime.
Keep your paperwork. If you paid for this repair before the recall, you may be able to get reimbursed - here's how.

Vehicle	Recalls	Grade
1993 Blue Bird Conventional	5	C
1994 Blue Bird Conventional	4	C
1995 Blue Bird Conventional	4	C
1996 Blue Bird Conventional	5	C
1997 Blue Bird Conventional	4	C
1998 Blue Bird Conventional	4	C
1999 Blue Bird Conventional	4	C
1993 Blue Bird Mini Bird	3	D
1994 Blue Bird Mini Bird	3	D
1995 Blue Bird Mini Bird	3	D
1996 Blue Bird Mini Bird	3	D
1997 Blue Bird Mini Bird	2	C
1998 Blue Bird Mini Bird	2	C
1999 Blue Bird Mini Bird	2	C
1993 Blue Bird TC2000	15	C
1994 Blue Bird TC2000	15	C
1995 Blue Bird TC2000	18	D
1996 Blue Bird TC2000	14	C
1997 Blue Bird TC2000	8	B
1998 Blue Bird TC2000	17	D
1999 Blue Bird TC2000	15	C

Vehicle

Complaints

Recalls

Grade

1993 Blue Bird Conventional

1994 Blue Bird Conventional

1995 Blue Bird Conventional

1996 Blue Bird Conventional

1997 Blue Bird Conventional

1998 Blue Bird Conventional

1999 Blue Bird Conventional

1993 Blue Bird Mini Bird

1994 Blue Bird Mini Bird

1995 Blue Bird Mini Bird

1996 Blue Bird Mini Bird

1997 Blue Bird Mini Bird

1998 Blue Bird Mini Bird

1999 Blue Bird Mini Bird

1993 Blue Bird TC2000

1994 Blue Bird TC2000

1995 Blue Bird TC2000

1996 Blue Bird TC2000

1997 Blue Bird TC2000

1998 Blue Bird TC2000

1999 Blue Bird TC2000

Questions

Is the 00V219000 recall repair free?

Yes. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix safety recalls free of charge. BLUE BIRD BODY COMPANY's dealers do the work; the remedy is described above.

How do I know if my vehicle is part of recall 00V219000?

Not every vehicle of a listed model year is included. Enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or call a dealer with your VIN.

When was recall 00V219000 announced?

BLUE BIRD BODY COMPANY reported it to NHTSA on August 17, 2000. Owners are usually notified by mail within about two months.

Structure: body Blue Bird recall