The problem
On certain conventional style school buses, only those equippped with air brakes, the underhood firewall location of the air brake manifold may permit rainwater entry into the parking brake exhaust port fitting of the manifold. In freezing weather, this water could form ice blocking the exhaust port. When this occurs, the parking brake does not operate as designed.
The risk
In the event that this condition should occur and the parking brake failed to apply, the bus could roll away, resulting in property damage or personal injury.
The fix
Dealers will modify these vehicles. Owner notification began on december 8, 2003. 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 1-478-822-2242.
Contacts
Blue bird recall no. R03hl. Also, customers can 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 03V498000.
- 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.