The Recall Desk
SevereNHTSA·14V083000·Announced 2014-02-27

Blue Bird Recalls School Buses Due to Exhaust Fire Risk

Blue Bird is recalling 2009-2015 All American school buses because condensation in the intake manifold may freeze, causing elevated exhaust temperatures or flames that increase the risk of fire or burn injury.

What this means for you

Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. 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 sensor malfunction can cause flames from the exhaust pipe, explicitly increasing the risk of vehicle fire or burn injury, which aligns with the 'Severe' criteria for significant injury reports or structural defects.

Plain-English summary

Blue Bird Body Company is recalling certain model year 2009-2015 All American rear engine school buses manufactured between December 8, 2008, and November 15, 2013. These vehicles are equipped with certain Cummins Westport Model ISL G engines. The recall involves 695 vehicles.

The defect involves condensation in the intake manifold that may freeze during cold weather conditions. This freezing can interfere with the proper operation of the intake manifold pressure sensor. Improper sensor operation could induce elevated exhaust temperatures or flames from the exhaust pipe, increasing the risk of a vehicle fire or burn injury to a person near the exhaust pipe.

Cummins and Cummins Westport will notify owners. Authorized Cummins service facilities will upload a new ECM calibration free of charge. The recall began on April 12, 2014. Customers may contact Blue Bird at 1-478-822-2242 or Cummins Inc. at 1-800-343-7357. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R14XB. Owners may also contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit www.safercar.gov.

The recalled product

Product
BLUE BIRD ALL AMERICAN
Brand
BLUE BIRD
Affected units
695

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)

  • ALL AMERICAN

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.