Blue Bird School Buses Recalled for Exhaust Clamp Fire Risk
Blue Bird is recalling 2011-2012 Vision and All American school buses equipped with Cummins diesel engines due to a defect in the exhaust clamp assembly that may cause a fire.
What this means for you
Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).
The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.
Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural vehicle defect where a component failure can lead to a fire and the detachment of heavy machinery, posing a significant risk of injury or property damage.
Plain-English summary
Blue Bird Body Company is recalling certain model year 2011 and 2012 All American and Vision school buses manufactured between October 2010 and March 2011. These vehicles are equipped with a Cummins diesel engine. The recall involves 860 affected vehicles.
The defect involves the V-band clamp assembly used to connect the inlet and outlet cone sections to the diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC)/diesel particulate filter (DPF). The T-bolt in these assemblies can fracture and fail when subjected to stress or load. If the clamp loosens, the inlet or outlet sections may disconnect from the DOC/DPF housing. This disconnection allows hot exhaust gases to vent before exiting the tailpipe, creating a risk of combustion and fire. In some applications, if both clamps fail, the DOC/DPF housing may detach completely, creating a road hazard.
Owners should contact Cummins at 1-812-377-5000 or Blue Bird at 1-478-822-2242 to schedule a repair. Repairs will be performed by authorized Cummins dealers free of charge. The safety recall began on October 10, 2011.
The recalled product
- Product
- BLUE BIRD VISION, ALL AMERICAN
- Brand
- BLUE BIRD
- Manufacturer
- BLUE BIRD BODY COMPANY
- Category
- Vehicle — School Bus
- Hazard
- Affected units
- 860
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 (2)
- VISION
- ALL AMERICAN
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.
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