Blue Bird Recalls 2007-2009 L4RE Buses for Steering Gear Defect
North American Bus Industries is recalling 53 Blue Bird L4RE transit buses from 2007-2009 due to a defective steering gear attachment that could cause loss of steering control.
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 (steering gear attachment) that can lead to loss of steering control and vehicle crashes, meeting the criteria for a Severe rating.
Plain-English summary
North American Bus Industries, Inc. (NABI) is recalling 53 model year 2007-2009 Blue Bird L4RE transit buses manufactured between July 1, 2007, and October 31, 2009. The recall addresses a defect in the steering gear attachment where cracks may develop in the bracket securing the power steering gear to the bus frame, or in the bus frame around the bolts attaching the bracket.
If left unchecked, these cracks may propagate and cause partial separation of the steering gear from the bus frame. This failure would result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
NABI will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair the buses free of charge. The recall began in March 2013. Owners may contact NABI at 1-256-831-4296 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.
The recalled product
- Product
- BLUE BIRD L4RE
- Brand
- BLUE BIRD
- Manufacturer
- North American Bus Industries, Inc.
- Category
- Vehicle — Transit Bus
- Affected units
- 53
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 (1)
- L4RE
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.
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