Blue Bird SCHOOL BUS problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
22 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
90,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1984 to 2009 model years. Data snapshot: . 1 complaints include usable failure mileage.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Structure:Body:Door is the most frequently named component, appearing in 5 of 22 complaints (22.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 3 | 13.6% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 2 | 9.1% |
| Transmission and shifting | 1 | 4.5% |
| Engine operation | 1 | 4.5% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Structure:Body:Door | 5 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components | 3 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Turbo/Supercharger | 2 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Caliper | 2 |
| Structure:Frame And Members | 2 |
| Back Over Prevention:Warnings:External/Pedestrian Alert | 1 |
| Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery | 1 |
Structure:Body:Door: 5; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components: 3; Engine And Engine Cooling: 2; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Turbo/Supercharger: 2; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Caliper: 2; Structure:Frame And Members: 2; Back Over Prevention:Warnings:External/Pedestrian Alert: 1; Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 1 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 21 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 9 |
| 1996 | 2 |
| 2000 | 1 |
| 2001 | 6 |
| 2004 | 1 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2014 | 2 |
1995: 9; 1996: 2; 2000: 1; 2001: 6; 2004: 1; 2006: 1; 2014: 2
Pattern summary
Structure:Body:Door leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 3 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 2 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 480629 · 1995-01-19 (January 19, 1995)
BRAKE CALIPER PISTONS LOCK UP BEFORE BRAKES ARE COMPLETLY ENGAGED, CAUSING BRAKE PADS TO OVERHEAT/FIRE. (OTHER VEHICLE ON 479565) *AW
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 480629 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 479566 · 1995-01-17 (January 17, 1995)
FRONT/REAR BRAKES SQUEAL, ALSO WEARS PREMATURELY.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 479566 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 481239 · 1995-02-15 (February 15, 1995)
CORROSION AT CONNECTION POINTS BETWEEN BATTERY AND FRAME OF BUS CAUSED INADEQUATE GROUNDING, RESULTING IN FIRE. *SKD
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 481239 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 551530 · 2000-03-23 (March 23, 2000)
HEATER VENT CABLE NOT SECURED AND CHAFFED ON THE BODY SOLENOID WITH LIVE WIRES CAUSING SHORT CIRCUIT AND FIRE, OTHER VIN #[XXX] HAD THE SAME ROUTING OF CABLE AND WAS REPAIRED AND SECURED TO AVOID FIRE POTENTIAL. *MJS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 551530 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 785751 · 2001-10-22 (October 22, 2001)
TRANSMISSION FAILED. *SLC
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 785751 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 878432 · 2001-01-18 (January 18, 2001)
INTERNATIONAL BUS; WHILE DRIVING WITH CHILDREN BUS STALLED UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH ALMOST CAUSED A CRASH DUE TO FUEL LINE MADE OUT OF AIR LINES WHICH WAS USED FOR AIR BRAKES. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 878432 at NHTSA ↗
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1993 | 0 |
| 1995 | 0 |
| 1996 | 0 |
| 1997 | 0 |
| 1998 | 0 |
| 2000 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 |
| 2009 | 1 |
1993: 0; 1995: 0; 1996: 0; 1997: 0; 1998: 0; 2000: 0; 2001: 0; 2009: 1