The problem
Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Blue Bird All American and Vision school buses. The primary and secondary air brake gauges on the instrument cluster may intermittently indicate "0 PSI" instead of the correct air pressure in the tanks. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 121, "Air Brake Systems."
The risk
If the gauges do not correctly display the air pressure that is in the tanks, the operator will not be able to know when the air pressure is actually dropping, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix
Blue Bird will notify owners, and dealers will update the display software, free of charge. The recall began on August 1, 2018. Owners may contact Blue Bird customer service at 1-478-822-2242. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R18ZE-SB.
Contacts
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.safercar.gov.
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 18V263000.
- 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.