The Recall Desk
HighNHTSA·10V133000·Announced 2010-04-05

Blue Bird School Buses Recalled for Wheelchair Lift Restraint Defect

Blue Bird is recalling certain 2008-2011 school buses equipped with Ricon wheelchair lifts because the restraint belt may not fully latch, allowing the lift to move with an occupant on board.

What this means for you

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a risk-of-harm product where injury has not yet been reported, fitting the 'High' severity criteria for potential injury without confirmed fatalities or hospitalizations.

Plain-English summary

Blue Bird Body Company has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a defect in certain model year 2008 through 2011 All American, Conventional, and Micro Bird school buses. These vehicles were manufactured between December 13, 2007, and January 18, 2010, and are equipped with Ricon Model S or K Series public use wheelchair lifts.

The defect involves the restraint belt on the wheelchair lifts, which is designed to prevent the lift from moving unless the belt tongue is fully engaged and latched in the buckle. Ricon discovered that it is possible for an operator to insert the belt tongue into the buckle without fully engaging the latching mechanism. In this scenario, the belt appears to be latched, and the operator could run the lift. If the restraint belt tongue is not fully engaged and latched, the lift may operate with an occupant on the platform.

The user of the lift could be injured if the lift moves without the restraint belt properly buckled. Blue Bird is working with Ricon, which will handle the remedy for this campaign. Ricon will provide customers with a warning decal and a DVD-based training aid. The safety recall began on April 27, 2010. Owners may contact Ricon at 1-818-267-3000 or Blue Bird at 1-478-822-2242.

The recalled product

Product
BLUE BIRD ALL AMERICAN, CONVENTIONAL, MICRO BIRD
Brand
BLUE BIRD
Manufacturer
BLUE BIRD BODY COMPANY
Category
Vehicle — School Bus
Hazard
Affected units
1,622

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (3)

  • ALL AMERICAN
  • CONVENTIONAL
  • MICRO BIRD

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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