Blue Bird School Buses Recalled for Roof Hatch Opening Force Defect
Blue Bird is recalling 2012-2013 Vision and All American school buses because roof hatches may not open easily in an emergency.
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 structural defect in emergency exits that could hinder egress and result in injury, but no injuries or deaths have been reported, fitting the 'High' severity criteria for risk-of-harm products where injury has not yet been reported.
Plain-English summary
Blue Bird Body Company is recalling certain model year 2012 through 2013 All American and Vision school buses manufactured between April 7, 2011, and March 21, 2012. These vehicles are equipped with Specialty Manufacturing Inc. (SMI) Prolo roof hatches. The recall affects 1,406 vehicles.
Increased friction between the rear plate assemblies and the nylon rear pop-up support may cause the roof hatches to require more force to open than federal standards allow. This means the hatches do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 217, which governs bus emergency exits and window retention and release.
In an emergency, this defect could hinder occupants from exiting the bus, potentially resulting in injury. Blue Bird will notify owners, and SMI will provide service kits and repair instructions to dealers and owners free of charge. The safety recall began on June 21, 2012. Owners can contact Blue Bird at 1-478-822-2242 or SMI at 1-800-951-7867.
The recalled product
- Product
- BLUE BIRD VISION, ALL AMERICAN
- Brand
- BLUE BIRD
- Manufacturer
- BLUE BIRD BODY COMPANY
- Category
- Vehicle — School Bus
- Hazard
- Affected units
- 1,406
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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