The contact called about a 2020 Blue Bird BB Conventional. The contact was a bus driver for the Coweta School District and stated that while at the diesel fuel pump, diesel spilled out of the spout. The contact stated that the failure occurred after the vehicle was fueled and while closing the fuel cap. The contact stated that approximately two gallons of diesel spilled out of the spout. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked, and the following day, the contact found a diesel fuel spill on the ground. The contact stated that approximately four gallons of diesel were lost. No warning lights were illuminated. A contact notified the fleet mechanic about the issue. The mechanic informed the contact that the described incident was normal for the type of school bus and to continue driving the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure was a recurring failure, and the contact parked the vehicle, and the vehicle was no longer driven due to safety concerns. The contact stated that other bus drivers also complained about similar failures with other Blue Bird School buses. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The worst 2020 Blue Bird All American School Bus problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Seats3
- Fuel system1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Seats3
- Fuel system1
Recalls 20
Equipment: other: labels
- What is wrong
- Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2019-2024 Vision and All American school buses. The emergency exit label operating instructions lettering is too small and may be difficult to read. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 217, "Bus Emergency Exits and Window Retention and Release."
- Risk
- An emergency exit label that is difficult to read can prevent or delay the use of the emergency exit, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the emergency exit label, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 9, 2024. Owners may contact Blue Bird Customer Service at 478‑822‑2242. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R23CK (SB).
Recall number 24V758000 · Recall details
Structure: body: roof and pillars
- What is wrong
- Blue Bird Bus Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Vision, All American Front Engine, and All American Rear Engine school buses. An exterior roof joint may have been manufactured with insufficient strength that can allow the roof panels to separate in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 221, "School Bus Body Joint Strength."
- Risk
- Roof panels that separate during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the roof panel joints and install additional rivets as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 17, 2024. Owners may contact Blue Bird customer service at 1‑478‑822‑2242.
Recall number 24V543000 · Recall details
Seats
- What is wrong
- Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Vision 2020-2023 All American school buses. The convertible seats may have been incorrectly installed, which can result in an unsecured seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
- Risk
- An unsecured seat may not adequately restrain an occupant, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and repair the seat, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 04, 2024. Owners may contact Blue Bird customer service at 1‑478‑822‑2242. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R24CM-SB.
Recall number 24V078000 · Recall details
Structure
- What is wrong
- Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2014-2024 All American school buses equipped with 39" High Back seat restraining barriers. The bolts securing the restraining barriers to the floor may separate when fully loaded. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 222, "School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection."
- Risk
- An unsecured seat restraining barrier may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a longer bolt with rectangular washer and nut, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed January 16, 2024. Owners may contact Blue Bird customer service at 1‑478‑822‑2242. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R23CU-SB. This recall is an expansion of recall number 23V‑777.
Recall number 23V778000 · Recall details
Power train: driveline
- What is wrong
- Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2018-2021 All American and Vision School Buses, equipped with PowerDrive 7000 electric drive systems. The System Control Module (SCM) may activate the anti-rollback feature, causing the vehicle to reverse faster than expected when the vehicle is in reverse and pointing downhill with the brake pedal not applied.
- Risk
- A vehicle reversing faster than expected can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the SCM software calibration, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 10, 2023. Owners may contact Blue Bird customer service at 1‑478‑822‑2242. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R23CG (SB)
Recall number 23V276000 · Recall details
Electrical system: propulsion system
- What is wrong
- Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2018-2022 All American and Vision school buses equipped with Cummins PD7000 Electric Drivetrains containing an electric air compressor. The air compressor housing is improperly grounded, causing electrical voltage greater than 50V AC during operation.
- Risk
- An improperly grounded air compressor can cause electric shock, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install an electrical ground strap between the compressor motor housing and vehicle chassis, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 6, 2023. Owners may contact Blue Bird's customer service at 1‑478‑822‑2242. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R22BY-SB.
Recall number 22V505000 · Recall details
Fuel system, diesel: fuel injection system: fuel rail
- What is wrong
- Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2018-2022 All American buses. The sealing washer may not seat correctly in the pilot bore holes, allowing the high pressure fuel rail assembly to leak.
- Risk
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- The remedy for this recall is still under development. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 30, 2021. Owners may contact Blue Bird customer service at 1‑478‑822‑2242. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R21BH-SB.
Recall number 21V312000 · Recall details
Power train
- What is wrong
- Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Vision and All American school buses. The drivetrain may experience an electromagnetic noise on the Control Area Network (CAN) bus, which may cause a loss of electrical power to the power steering pump.
- Risk
- A loss of assisted power steering increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Cummins will replace the High Voltage Low Power Inverter Harness, and install an overlay harness, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on May 22, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 25, 2021. Owners may contact Blue Bird customer service at 1‑478‑822‑2242.
Recall number 21V300000 · Recall details
Service brakes, air
- What is wrong
- Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Vision and All American school buses. A retainer was not properly seated in the SC-3 single check valve and may not provide source air isolation when pressure is applied. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 121, "Air Brake System."
- Risk
- Unintended spring brake application may occur, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the SC-3 check valves, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on November 18, 2021. Owners may contact Blue Bird customer service at 1‑478‑822‑2242. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R21BE-SB.
Recall number 21V284000 · Recall details
Electrical system: software
- What is wrong
- Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Vision and All American school buses. The electric drive train cannot detect isolation faults when the high voltage contactors are closed.
- Risk
- An undetected high voltage isolation can expose service personnel to high voltage, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Blue Bird will notify owners, and dealers will update the Vehicle Control Unit software or install a different combination of High Voltage Power Distribution Unit hardware, free of charge. The recall began on May 22, 2021. Owners may contact Blue Bird customer service at 1‑478‑822‑2242. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R21BD-SB.
Recall number 21V253000 · Recall details
Seat belts: rear/other: anchorage
- What is wrong
- Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Vision and All American buses. The seats with integrated 3-point seat belts may have been installed incorrectly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
- Risk
- An incorrectly installed seat can increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
- Remedy
- Blue Bird will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seats and install any missing hardware, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin April 9, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed February 03, 2022. Owners may contact Blue Bird customer service at 1‑478‑822‑2242. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R21BB-SB.
Recall number 21V070000 · Recall details
Seat belts: front: anchorage
- What is wrong
- Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2018-2021 All-American and 2019-2021 Vision school buses. The three-point seatbelt assembly may have been installed without reinforcing washers under the floor at the anchorage point, possibly preventing the assembly from remaining anchored in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, seat belt anchorages that do not remain secured increase the risk of injury to those seat occupants.
- Remedy
- Blue Bird will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat belt anchorage point hardware and install any missing hardware as needed, free of charge. This recall began August 11, 2020. Owners may contact Blue Bird customer service at 1‑478‑822‑2242. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R20AX.
Recall number 20V409000 · Recall details
Equipment: appliance: air conditioner
- What is wrong
- Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Vision and All American school buses equipped with factory-installed air conditioning (A/C) systems. The A/C circuit breaker may have been installed incorrectly.
- Risk
- Incorrect installation of the air conditioning circuit breaker may increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Blue Bird will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the installation of the A/C circuit breaker, correcting it as necessary. Any damaged circuit breakers will be replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began July 6, 2020. Owner letters were mailed on November 30, 2021. Owners may contact Blue Bird customer service at 1‑478‑822‑2242. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R20AR-SB.
Recall number 20V266000 · Recall details
Parking brake
- What is wrong
- Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Vision and All American school buses. The foot pedal parking brake assembly may have been improperly assembled possibly resulting in a failure to hold the vehicle stationary on an incline when the vehicle is loaded to its maximum weight. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 105, "Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems."
- Risk
- Unintended vehicle movement can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Blue Bird will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the foot pedal parking brake assembly application force and adjust it as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin July 3, 2020. Owners may contact Blue Bird customer service at 1‑478‑822‑2242. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R20AP-SB.
Recall number 20V258000 · Recall details
Seats: barriers
- What is wrong
- Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2008-2021 Vision and All American school buses. The seat barrier behind the driver seat with an integrated 3-point seat belt may have been installed incorrectly and may be missing the reinforcing bracket. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 222, "School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection."
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, the seat barrier may not adequately protect the occupant seated behind the seat barrier separating them from the driver seat with integrated 3-point seat belt, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Blue Bird will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and properly install the seat barrier including adding reinforcing bracket, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin April 23, 2020. Owners may contact Blue Bird customer service at 1‑478‑822‑2242. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R20AM-SB.
Recall number 20V125000 · Recall details
Structure: body: roof and pillars
- What is wrong
- Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2019-2021 All American and Vision school buses. An insufficient number of rivets were installed in the roof sheets, allowing the roof sheets to separate in the event of a severe impact. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 221, "School Bus Body Joint Strength."
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, if the roof sheets separate, there is an increased risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Blue Bird will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the roof joints and add the sufficient number of rivets, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 22, 2019. Owners may contact Blue Bird customer service at 1‑478‑822‑2242. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R19AH.
Recall number 19V707000 · Recall details
Structure: emergency: escape/egress/exit
- What is wrong
- Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2020 Vision and All American buses equipped with Specialty Prolo 24" x 24" roof hatches. Due to a manufacturing issue, the roof hatch external handle may unexpectedly break under reasonable use. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 217, "Bus Emergency Exits and Window Retention and Release."
- Risk
- If the roof hatch external handle breaks, in the event of an emergency, the hatch cannot be easily opened from outside the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Blue Bird will notify owners, and dealers will replace the outer hatch handle, free of charge. The recall began August 21, 2019. Owners may contact Blue Bird customer service at 1‑478‑822‑2242. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R19AF - NSB.
Recall number 19V524000 · Recall details
Structure: emergency: escape/egress/exit
- What is wrong
- Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Vision and All American school buses equipped with Specialty Manufacturing Prolo roof emergency exit hatches. Due to a manufacturing issue, the roof hatch external handle may unexpectedly break under reasonable use. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 217, "Bus Emergency Exits and Window Retention and Release."
- Risk
- If the roof hatch external handle breaks, in the event of an emergency, the hatch cannot be easily opened from outside the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Blue Bird will notify owners, and Specialty dealers will replace the outer handle, free of charge. The recall began August 21, 2019. Owners may contact Blue Bird customer service at 1‑478‑822‑2242. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R19AF - SB.
Recall number 19V526000 · Recall details
Service brakes, air: disc
- What is wrong
- Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Vision and All American school buses equipped with Bendix ADB22X air brakes. The driver side rear brakes may drag.
- Risk
- A dragging brake may cause damage to the brake components, which may activate the ABS warning light. The warning light may cause the driver to immediately stop the vehicle and transfer occupants. Additionally, the high temperatures at the wheel end can increase the risk of a fire. Either condition increases the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Blue Bird will notify owners, and dealers will install a new caliper with an updated clearance adjustment mechanism, free of charge. Blue Bird issued owners interim notification on July 18, 2019. The recall began August 28, 2019. Owners may contact Blue Bird customer service at 1‑478‑822‑2242. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R19AA - SB.
Recall number 19V391000 · Recall details
Seats
- What is wrong
- Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2020 Blue Bird All American and 2019-2020 Blue Bird Vision school buses, equipped with certain HSM NextGen 45" 3PT school bus seats, part number GenQ3-45 LH. There may be an insufficient number of bolts attaching the seat to the bus floor, allowing the seat to detach from the bus floor in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, if the bus seat detaches from the floor, it can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Blue Bird will notify owners, and dealers will install a secondary floor mounting brace, free of charge. The recall began December 12, 2018. Owners may contact Blue Bird customer service at 1‑478‑822‑2242. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R18ZT-SB.
Recall number 18V846000 · Recall details
See all 20 recalls for the 2020 Blue Bird All American School Bus
Technical service bulletins for the 2020 Blue Bird All American School Bus 16
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- A motor high temperature error can display on the instrument cluster when the OEM coolant valve in the...
- SM2022 EV
- SM2203: EV
- Cummins recently issued Temporary Repair Practice (TRP2484) for certain vehicles with DEF sensor failures...
- Models Affected: 2010 thru 2021 All American Subject: This update provides information on the new surge...
- The intent of Service Memorandum SM1906 is to make Blue Bird dealers aware that Cummins has released a...
- SM1904
- SM1905
- Electrical system
- Equipment adaptive/mobility
See all 16 bulletins for the 2020 Blue Bird All American School Bus
What 2020 Blue Bird All American School Bus owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Bluebird Next Gen seats continuously break. The seat bottoms break under the weight of a high school aged kid. If the child is sitting in the seat when it breaks it could injure the child. The seat backs also break regularly.
I am writing to bring to your attention several persistent issues we have encountered with the Blue Bird student seating in our buses. The seat backs, constructed from a black mesh material welded at all four corners and secured with a top bar, have repeatedly failed. We have observed that nearly all of our seats have broken seat backs, necessitating multiple repairs at Central States of Lexington. Despite these efforts, we continue to find broken seat frames. This is particularly concerning as, in the event of an accident, these seats would not adequately provide the necessary compartmentalization for student safety. We are in the process of replacing the seat frames in the buses that are currently damaged, but given our experience, we believe that using the same materials will only result in further issues in the near future. To date, we have identified a total of six buses affected by this problem. The Kentucky Department of Education has conducted a review of our district's situation and expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of the seats provided by Blue Bird. This leads us to believe that this issue may not be limited to our district or state. Please advise on how you would like to proceed with the investigation of this complaint. We currently have one bus out of service at our shop, available for in-person inspection. Additionally, I can provide photographs that document the problems we have encountered with the seating in our Blue Bird buses. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. I look forward to your prompt response.
I am writing to bring to your attention several persistent issues we have encountered with the Blue Bird student seating in our buses. The seat backs, constructed from a black mesh material welded at all four corners and secured with a top bar, have repeatedly failed. We have observed that nearly all of our seats have broken seat backs, necessitating multiple repairs at Central States of Lexington. Despite these efforts, we continue to find broken seat frames. This is particularly concerning as, in the event of an accident, these seats would not adequately provide the necessary compartmentalization for student safety. We are in the process of replacing the seat frames in the buses that are currently damaged, but given our experience, we believe that using the same materials will only result in further issues in the near future. To date, we have identified a total of six buses affected by this problem. The Kentucky Department of Education has conducted a review of our district's situation and expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of the seats provided by Blue Bird. This leads us to believe that this issue may not be limited to our district or state. Please advise on how you would like to proceed with the investigation of this complaint. We currently have one bus out of service at our shop, available for in-person inspection. Additionally, I can provide photographs that document the problems we have encountered with the seating in our Blue Bird buses. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. I look forward to your prompt response.
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Questions about the 2020 Blue Bird All American School Bus
Is the 2020 Blue Bird All American School Bus reliable?
Owners have filed 4 complaints about the 2020 Blue Bird All American School Bus, 2.0 times a typical All American School Bus model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2020 Blue Bird All American School Bus?
Seats, with 3 complaints. Next is fuel system (1).
How many recalls does the 2020 Blue Bird All American School Bus have?
20 recalls, covering equipment, structure and seats.
Was there a recall on the 2020 Blue Bird All American School Bus seats?
Yes, 3 recalls: 24V078000, 20V125000, 18V846000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
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