Hundreds of School Buses Recalled for Fire Hazard

Blue Bird is recalling 735 school buses because a defective electrical system poses a fire risk. The recall affects certain model year 2008-2009 Vision school buses that are equipped with Caterpillar C707 engines.

In the affected buses, the positive starter cable may be incorrectly attached to the same Power Distribution Unit stud as the battery cable, exposing the smaller battery cable to a higher current draw during cranking. Exposure to high current draw may cause the battery cable to overheat, melt the wire insulation and increase the risk of a short circuit and a fire.

Blue Bird will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The repair will include: relocating the starter cable from the Electrical Power Stud to the Chassis Power Stud, inspecting the 4 gauge battery cable from Electrical Power Stud to the battery for any damage, and replacing any damaged cable.

Source: NHTSA