- Vehicles
- 32
- Built between
- Nov 2014 – May 2016
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 27 June 2016
- Repaired
- 16%
- Unrepaired
- 27
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between November 2014 and May 2016. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2015-2017 Blue Bird ALL AmericanBuilt November 2014 to May 2016
- 2016-2017 Blue Bird VisionBuilt May 2015 to February 2016
Repair progress
27 of 32 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q3 2017.
16% repaired — 5 of 32 reported
Manufacturers file these figures with NHTSA each quarter. Vehicles the manufacturer could not trace, or that have been scrapped or exported, are counted separately and are not included in the unrepaired figure.
What the defect is
Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 All American transit buses manufactured from November 13, 2014, through May 4, 2016, and 2016-2017 Vision transit buses manufactured from May 30, 2015, through February 2, 2016, equipped with Ricon S-Series (S2005 and S5510) wheelchair lifts. In the affected vehicles the platform side plate on the wheelchair lifts may crack. Additionally, the lifts are equipped with folding link arms that may have pivot holes that are too big, allowing the bearings to move out of position.
What could happen
If the platform side plates crack or the platform mounting fails from out-of-position bearings, the lift platform can separate from the lift and come to rest against the vehicle's lift door. When the vehicle's doors are opened, the platform may fall onto the lift operator, increasing their risk of injury.
What gets fixed
Blue Bird will notify owners, and Ricon dealers will inspect the link arms for damage or for displaced bearings. The platform will be inspected for cracks. Any damaged parts will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on June 27, 2016.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtNovember 2014 to May 2016
- Recall reported to NHTSA6 June 2016
- Owners notified27 June 2016
- Latest repair reportQ3 2017 — 16% repaired
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 6 June 2016.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
Owners may contact Blue Bird customer service at 1-478-822-2242 or Ricon Customer Service at 1-800-322-2884. The recall number for Blue Bird is R16YR-NSB.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- R16YR-NSB
- Recalling manufacturer
- Blue Bird Body Company
- Safety standard
- FMVSS 404
- Recall initiated by
- MFR
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.