Bus, diesel, built in United States. Owner complaints on file from Sep 30, 2024 to Oct 23, 2025.
Owner complaints about this model year, by the year they were filed with NHTSA.
Owner complaints by component. Hover or focus a bar for the crash, fire, injury or death count.
Check a specific vehicle by VIN on NHTSA's site: a campaign may cover only part of a model year's production.
| Campaign | Filed | Subject | Component | Vehicles | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24V-758 | Oct 11, 2024 | Emergency exit label operating instructions lettering is too small and may be difficult to read | Equipment | 28,479 | Part replacement |
| 24V-543 | Jul 19, 2024 | Exterior roof joint may have been manufactured with insufficient strength that can allow the roof panels to separate in a crash | Structure | 16,708 | Repair or modification |
| 24V-078 | Feb 7, 2024 | Convertible seats may have been incorrectly installed, which can result in an unsecured seat | Seats | 6,691 | Repair or modification |
| 23V-778 | Nov 20, 2023 | Bolts securing the restraining barriers to the floor may separate when fully loaded | Structure | 6,124 | Repair or modification |
| 23V-276 | Apr 18, 2023 | System Control Module (SCM) may activate the anti-rollback feature, causing the vehicle to reverse faster than expected when the vehicle is in… | Powertrain | 419 | Software update |
| 22V-505 | Jul 14, 2022 | Air compressor housing is improperly grounded, causing electrical voltage greater than 50V AC during operation | Electrical system | 482 | Repair or modification |
| 21V-312 | May 4, 2021 | Sealing washer may not seat correctly in the pilot bore holes, allowing the high pressure fuel rail assembly to leak | Fuel system | 1,053 | Remedy pending |
| 21V-300 | Apr 28, 2021 | Drivetrain may experience an electromagnetic noise on the Control Area Network (CAN) bus, which may cause a loss of electrical power to the power… | Powertrain | 302 | Part replacement |
| 21V-284 | Apr 22, 2021 | Retainer was not properly seated in the SC-3 single check valve and may not provide source air isolation when pressure is applied | Brakes | 1,634 | Part replacement |
| 21V-253 | Apr 12, 2021 | Electric drive train cannot detect isolation faults when the high voltage contactors are closed | Electrical system | 292 | Software update |
| 21V-070 | Feb 12, 2021 | Seats with integrated 3-point seat belts may have been installed incorrectly | Seat belts | 620 | Repair or modification |
| 20V-409 | Jul 15, 2020 | Three-point seatbelt assembly may have been installed without reinforcing washers under the floor at the anchorage point, possibly preventing the… | Seat belts | 3,532 | Repair or modification |
| 20V-266 | May 12, 2020 | A/C circuit breaker may have been installed incorrectly | Electrical system | 1,239 | Part replacement |
| 20V-258 | May 8, 2020 | Foot pedal parking brake assembly may have been improperly assembled possibly resulting in a failure to hold the vehicle stationary on an incline… | Brakes | 1,585 | Repair or modification |
| 20V-125 | Mar 3, 2020 | Seat barrier behind the driver seat with an integrated 3-point seat belt may have been installed incorrectly and may be missing the reinforcing… | Seats | 2,790 | Repair or modification |
| 19V-707 | Oct 4, 2019 | Insufficient number of rivets were installed in the roof sheets, allowing the roof sheets to separate in the event of a severe impact | Structure | 302 | Inspection |
| 19V-526 | Jul 12, 2019 | Due to a manufacturing issue, the roof hatch external handle may unexpectedly break under reasonable use | Structure | 1,737 | Part replacement |
| 19V-524 | Jul 12, 2019 | Due to a manufacturing issue, the roof hatch external handle may unexpectedly break under reasonable use | Structure | 13 | Part replacement |
| 19V-391 | May 24, 2019 | Driver side rear brakes may drag | Brakes | 4,218 | Repair or modification |
| 18V-846 | Nov 28, 2018 | There may be an insufficient number of bolts attaching the seat to the bus floor, allowing the seat to detach from the bus floor in the event of a… | Seats | 12 | Repair or modification |
The full text of every complaint filed with NHTSA about this model year, newest first. Complaints are filed by owners and are not verified by NHTSA; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
4 complaints on file, page 1 of 1.
The contact called about a 2020 Blue Bird BB Conventional. The contact was a bus driver for the Coweta School District and stated that while at the diesel fuel pump, diesel spilled out of the spout. The contact stated that the failure occurred after the vehicle was fueled and while closing the fuel cap. The contact stated that approximately two gallons of diesel spilled out of the spout. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked, and the following day, the contact found a diesel fuel spill on the ground. The contact stated that approximately four gallons of diesel were lost. No warning lights were illuminated. A contact notified the fleet mechanic about the issue. The mechanic informed the contact that the described incident was normal for the type of school bus and to continue driving the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure was a recurring failure, and the contact parked the vehicle, and the vehicle was no longer driven due to safety concerns. The contact stated that other bus drivers also complained about similar failures with other Blue Bird School buses. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
NHTSA complaint 11695216Bluebird Next Gen seats continuously break. The seat bottoms break under the weight of a high school aged kid. If the child is sitting in the seat when it breaks it could injure the child. The seat backs also break regularly.
NHTSA complaint 11619122I 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.
NHTSA complaint 11617178I 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.
NHTSA complaint 11617177Technical service bulletins and other notices the manufacturer sent to dealers. A bulletin is not a recall.