- Vehicles
- 6,124
- Built between
- Aug 2014 – Nov 2023
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA compliance test
- Owners notified
- 16 January 2024
- Repaired
- 78%
- Unrepaired
- 1,373
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between August 2014 and November 2023. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2014-2019 Blue Bird ALL AmericanBuilt August 2014 to November 2023
- 2020-2024 Blue Bird ALL American School BUSBuilt August 2014 to November 2023
Repair progress
1,373 of 6,124 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q4 2025.
78% repaired — 4,747 of 6,124 reported
- Scrapped or exported
- 4
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 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."
What could happen
An unsecured seat restraining barrier may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
What gets fixed
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.
Parts involved
- 39" High Back Seat Barrier10010515Rear and Side Emergency Door Instructions
Part numbers are as filed by the manufacturer and are listed for reference. Your dealer will confirm the correct part for your vehicle.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtAugust 2014 to November 2023
- Recall reported to NHTSA20 November 2023
- Owners notified16 January 2024
- Latest repair reportQ4 2025 — 78% 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 20 November 2023.
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. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R23CU-SB. This recall is an expansion of recall number 23V-777.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- R23CU-SB
- Recalling manufacturer
- Blue Bird Body Company
- Safety standard
- FMVSS 222
- Recall initiated by
- OVSC
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.nhtsa.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.