2005 Blue Bird Vision
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Blue Bird › Vision › 2005
These records cover every 2005 Blue Bird Vision. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
15 recalls name the 2005 Blue Bird Vision. Newest first.
Blue bird IS recalling certain model year 2004 through 2006 vision conventional style school buses manufactured from june 26, 2003, through december 9, 2004. the starter cable may contact and potentially chafe against the steel braided power steering hose thereby creating a direct short.
Risk and remedy
Risk
A short could result in a fire.
Remedy
Blue bird will notify owners and dealers will inspect the subject buses for proper clearance between the starter cable and the power steering hose. buses found to have insufficient clearance will have a clamp installed to prevent further contact. any damaged power steering hoses or starter cables will be replaced free of charge. the safety recall IS expected to begin on or about may 10, 2011. owners may contact blue bird at 1-478-822-2242.
Blue bird IS recalling certain model year 2004 through 2006 vision conventional style non school buses manufactured from june 26, 2003, through december 9, 2004. the starter cable may contact and potentially chafe against the steel braided power steering hose thereby creating a direct short.
Risk and remedy
Risk
A short could result in a fire.
Remedy
Blue bird will notify owners and dealers will inspect the subject buses for proper clearance between the starter cable and the power steering hose. buses found to have insufficient clearance will have a clamp installed to prevent further contact. any damaged power steering hoses or starter cables will be replaced free of charge. the safety recall IS expected to begin on or about may 10, 2011. owners may contact blue bird at 1-478-822-2242.
Blue bird IS recalling certain model year 2004 through 2009 vision school buses manufactured from january 30, 2003 through september 24, 2008. the power cables running to the power distribution unit stud and driver's control module stud may have been installed with the lug (eyelet) flat side up. when this condition exists, vibration may wear the…
Risk and remedy
Risk
This condition could result in a fire.
Remedy
Blue bird will notify owners and repair the buses as necessary free of charge. the safety recall began may 26, 2020. owners may contact blue bird at 1-478-822-2242.
Blue bird IS recalling certain model year 2004 through 2009 vision non-school buses manufactured from september 19, 2003 through july 2, 2008. the power cables running to the power distribution unit stud and driver's control module stud may have been installed with the lug (eyelet) flat side up. when this condition exists, vibration may wear the…
Risk and remedy
Risk
This condition could result in a fire.
Remedy
Blue bird will notify owners and repair the buses as necessary free of charge. the safety recall began on may 26, 2020. owners may contact blue bird at 1-478-822-2242.
Blue bird IS recalling certain model year 2004 through 2010 all american, vision, micro bird, and conventional school buses manufactured between january 30, 2003 and may 7, 2009. incorrect offset leg barrier pads or 2/3 seat back pads may have been installed. buses with incorrect pads installed fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle…
Risk and remedy
Risk
In the event of a crash, there IS an increased risk of injury to the seat occupant(s).
Remedy
Blue bird will notify owners and the buses will be repaired free of charge. the safety recall began on september 18, 2009. owners may contact blue bird at 1-478-822-2242.
The hydraulic brake hoses from the master cylinder to the chassis frame may have been improperly routed or retained on certain 2004 through 2009 my blue bird vision conventional school and transit buses manufactured from january 11, 2004 through april 22, 2008.
Risk and remedy
Risk
Improper routing or retention of the hydraulic brake hoses may result in brake hoses chaffing against the bus body and/or chassis components which could cause a leak in the hydraulic brake system resulting in reduced braking capacity which could result in a crash.
Remedy
Blue bird will notify owners and inspect and repair the buses free of charge. the recall began on august 8, 2008. owners may contact blue bird at 1-478-822-2242.
Blue bird IS recalling 23,464 my 2005 through 2009 all american and vision school and transit model buses manufactured from january 22, 2004, and march 28, 2008, and my 2004 through 2007 all american school buses and conventional model school buses manufactured from march 6, 2003, through june 16, 2006. the rivet pattern may be incorrect in sections of the…
Risk and remedy
Risk
In the event of a crash, these panels may separate exposing the occupants to increased risk of injury.
Remedy
Blue bird will notify owners and inspect and repair the buses by adding additional rivets. the recall began on september 18, 2008. owners may contact blue bird at 478-822-2242.
Certain blue bird my 2004 through 2007 vision school and transit buses manufactured between october 9, 2003, and september 21, 2006, equipped with parker single check vavles (scv) provided by bendix. the defect exists in the parker scv that connects with the supply port of the SR-7 spring brake modulating valve. after prolonged use of the parker scv, the…
Risk and remedy
Risk
This condition can cause a delay in the application of the spring brakes to park the vehicle after the operator pulls the dash valve button. these conditions can occur without warning, leading to unintended vehicle rollaway, brake drag, or in the case of loss of primary circuit, inability to modulate the spring brakes.
Remedy
Blue bird will notify owners and provide a free remedy. the recall began on september 30, 2007. owners can contact blue bird at 478-822-2242.
Certain 2004-2007 my vision school buses manufactured between august 5, 2003, and june 13, 2006, equipped with option 40280-02 ammeter shunt. the power cable originally installed between the toe board and the shunt may be too short and may break due to engine vibration.
Risk and remedy
Risk
Should the power cable break while the bus IS in use, the bus could become stranded in an active lane which could possibly result in a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Blue bird will notify owners and replace the short power cable with a longer one free of charge. the recall began on august 31, 2006. owners may contact blue bird at 478-822-2242.
Certain 2001 through 2006 my blue bird all american, tc2000, and vision transit school buses manufactured between january 5, 2001, and july 15, 2005. these buses are equipped with a battery disconnect switch that has connections that may be loose on the battery switch studs creating the potential for the bus to shut down while in operation.
Risk and remedy
Risk
Should the bus shut down while in operation, a vehicle crash could occur.
Remedy
Blue bird will notify its owners and instruct them on how to repair the switch. the recall began on october 19 , 2005. owners may contact blue bird at 478-822-2242.
Certain school buses originally sold in or currently registered in the following states: alaska, colorado, connecticut, delaware, idaho, illinois, indiana, iowa, kansas, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, montana, nebraska, nevada, new hampshire, new jersey, new mexico, new york, north dakota, ohio, oregon…
Risk and remedy
Risk
Should the stop arm not perform properly, a child or pedestrian may be endangered by passing vehicles should the motorist not stop at the correct location.
Remedy
Blue bird will notify its customers and replace the original switch with a switch pack that IS not sensitive to extreme cold weather and will inspect to ensure the microswitch heater wiring IS properly connected free of charge. the recall began on august 12, 2005. owners may contact blue bird at 478-822-2242.
Certain blue bird 2002 through 2006 my all american, conventional, minibird, microbird, vision, and tc2000 school buses originally sold in or currently registered in states other than the following states: alaska, colorado, connecticut, delaware, idaho, illinois, indiana, iowa, kansas, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota…
Risk and remedy
Risk
Should the stop arm not perform properly, a child or pedestrian may be endangered by passing motorists should the motorist not stop at the correct location.
Remedy
Blue bird will notify all its customers of this campaign. for those buses operated in or near any of the states listed above, blue bird IS encouraging the bus owners to obtain the replacement switch. for those buses operated in the warmer states, blue bird will replace the switch upon owner request. for those customers who request the remedy, blue bird will replace the original switch with a switch pack that IS not sensitive to extreme cold weather and will inspect to ensure the microswitch heater wiring IS properly connected. the safety improvement campaign began on august 12, 2005. owners may contact blue bird at 478-822-2242.
Certain blue bird my 2004-2006 vision school buses equipped with hydraulic brakes manufactured between march 24, 2003, and april 25, 2005. the hydraulic brake dash warning light was incorrectly labeled with the canadian version which uses symbols rather than words as required by federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 105, hydraulic and electric brake…
Risk and remedy
Risk
The original dash warning light indicator displays an international symbol on the brake warning light indicator whereas fmvss 105 requires the word "brake" to be displayed. the operator may not recognize the international symbol as warning indicating a problem in the hydraulic brake system which could result in a vehicle crash if the warning IS not heeded.
Remedy
Blue bird will mail replacement decals with correct nomenclature for the brake dash warning indicator light. the recall began july 15, 2005. owners may contact blue bird at 478-822-2242.
Certain 2004-2006 my blue bird vision conventional school and non school buses maunfactured from june 12, 2003, through february 22, 2005. a short can occur in the crossing arm circuit or the 8-WAY warning light circuit, causing the heavy duty transistor w/built in circuit protect to trip resulting in an inadvertent engine shutdown.
Risk and remedy
Risk
A vehicle crash could occur should the engine shutdown while the bus IS in use, possibly resulting in injury or death.
Remedy
Blue bird will notify its customers and repair the buses by relocating the circuits to a separate circuit protected by a circuit breaker free of charge. the recall began on march 24, 2005. owners may contact blue bird at 478-822-2242.
Certain blue bird 1999-2005 all american, tc/2000, micro bird, vision, conventional, and commercial series school buses equipped with sure-loc wheelchair securement systems and manufactured between february 17, 1999, and august 13, 2004. certain sure-lok wheelchair tie-down securement assemblies p/n 8625-13. the sprocket teeth of the retractor assembly…
Risk and remedy
Risk
In the event of a vehicle crash, the wheelchair may not be adequately secured possibly resulting in injuries.
Remedy
Blue bird will notify its customers and replace the defective part free of charge. the recall began september 21, 2004. owners who take their buses to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact at blue bird at 478-822-2242.
Owner complaints
1 complaints1 involved a fire
Latest complaints
- Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system
Voq entered by mhdvd on 8/22/2011 the driver noticed smoke coming from the steering column area of the dash of the school bus which rapidly developed and engulfed the left side of the engine compartment. cause of fire was undetermined after inspection. electircal heating was noted at the…
Voq entered by mhdvd on 8/22/2011 the driver noticed smoke coming from the steering column area of the dash of the school bus which rapidly developed and engulfed the left side of the engine compartment. cause of fire was undetermined after inspection. electircal heating was noted at the solenoid but did not appear to be sufficient to act as an ignition source and lack of fuel in the area does not demonstrate a means for a fire to develop.
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- Hydraulic brake hose chafing/leaking
In april, 2008, odi received a letter from the missouri state highway patrol alleging that their field inspectorswerefinding hydraulic brake hoses that werebeing cut or crushed by the sharp edges of the bus body at the firewall.they also supplied information on one bus that experienced total brake loss due to the…
In april, 2008, odi received a letter from the missouri state highway patrol alleging that their field inspectorswerefinding hydraulic brake hoses that werebeing cut or crushed by the sharp edges of the bus body at the firewall.they also supplied information on one bus that experienced total brake loss due to the brake hose being cut. Further field work by odi increased thenumber of complaints to a total of seven.after discussions with odi and further review of field incidents, blue bird has decided to initiate a safety recall to inspect, replace and or reposition the brake hoses of concern. This recall action resolves the issues raised by this investigation. Accordingly, this investigation IS closed.
- Over stressed battery cables
This investigation was opened after odi was notified by the gsa automotive engineering division that they have had three incidents where abattery cable terminal end failed. Gsa reported the positive battery cable as being too short and being stressed during normal operation resulting in a complete separation.this…
This investigation was opened after odi was notified by the gsa automotive engineering division that they have had three incidents where abattery cable terminal end failed. Gsa reported the positive battery cable as being too short and being stressed during normal operation resulting in a complete separation.this could lead to an engine shut down or possibly a thermal event if thecable shorts to a ground source upon failure.bluebird has filed a safety defect to resolve the issue. The original cable will be removed and replaced with a longer battery cable. The ammeter shunt mounting will also be upgraded on all buses delivered through july 12, 2006.this investigation IS close.
- Brake air pressure buzzer inoperative
See closing report.
- School bus stalls
This investigation was opened after odi received a complaint from a school bus fleet reporting that three separate buses had stalled unexpectedly while they were loaded with children.reportedly, each time the failure occurred the master battery shut-off switch was identified as being defective.odi opened this…
This investigation was opened after odi received a complaint from a school bus fleet reporting that three separate buses had stalled unexpectedly while they were loaded with children.reportedly, each time the failure occurred the master battery shut-off switch was identified as being defective.odi opened this investigation to gather specific information and details into these allegations.as a result of odi?s investigation, blue bird has agreed to initate a safety recall to replace the standard nut on the 10/32 stud with a locking nut, check for proper wiring installation , and reposition the wires so that they do not stress the stud.a copy of the recall IS attached.blue bird's action resolves the issues raised by this investigation and therefore, this investigation IS closed.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10201696SM1905: Blue Bird Vantage Dash Fault Codes Website Blue Bird Vantage "Dash Fault Codes" website page has been updated to include additional new fault codes for all applicable system types (brake, engine, and transmission). Also, "Powertrain, Ford" has been added to the drop-down tab as a system type selection. "Powertrain Ford" system type is used to identify both Ford engine and transmission fault codes.
- 10128907New Blue Bird Support Center - Technical Bus Support: Dealer memo to announce the new on-line Blue Bird Support Center for technical bus support requests.
- 10128588Blue Bird Troubleshooting Guides: Blue Bird announcement of the addition of troubleshooting guides for assisting in the service of the Blue Bird products. These troubleshooting guides are available on the Vantage website.
- 10058965Blue bird: correct information provided for the front hub torque specification, not found in manuals for certain buses for hub and rotor assembly and front installation. Model 2005-14 vision, all-american and activity.
- 10043387Blue bird: see document search button for owner letter. On certain model year buses, the wrong disconnect stud(s) switch may be connected to battery disconnect jumper cable switch.
- 10043255Blue bird: see document search button for owner letter. On some buses, starter cable IS located on power junction block, causing slow starter cranking and misdiagnoses. Starter cable should be located on ammeter junction block instead.
- 10043253Blue bird: for some model year buses, front axles undergone several changes regarding tie rods not being interchangeable when replacement service IS required.
- 10043251Blue bird: see document search button for owner letter. On model year buses, the bicycle crank arm, in wiper assembly, must be replaced due to design being out of specification.
- 10043225Blue bird: see document search button for owner letter. On some buses, a guard was designed to prevent the snagging of bag straps and jacket pockets on air power entrance doors' emergency release lever.
- 10043224Blue bird: see document search button for owner letter. On some buses a safety issue exist regarding the installation and replacing of power cable and shunt base due to breakage.
- 10043209Blue bird: see document search button for owner letter. Information on excessive cycling of engine cooling fan and shutter and how to install thermo switches for cooling system and charge air system.
- 10043190Blue bird: information IS being provided regarding maintenance for vehicles equipped with aluminum seat floor tracks.
- 10032764Blue bird bus: re-issue service update engine coolants. The cooling system on the buses be properly maintained and monitored to insure proper operation of your cooling system.
- 10010697Bbcv wheel weight-tie rod end contact.
- 10010400In operations where buses are commonly left parked for extended periods, the current draw of the multiplex system in non-sleep mode may drain batteries. Communications to blue bird owner and multiplex modification bulletin. All blue bird visions.
- 10009862Contact between the wheel weights and tie rod ends resulting in dislodging of the wheel weights. Service bulletin s04ja. Blue bird.
Every Blue Bird Vision model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.