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NHTSA campaign 20V234000 · manufacturer recall R20AO-SB

2006–2021 Blue Bird ALL American and 3 other Blue Bird models: parking brake recall

A parking brake system that is set to an insufficient application force may result in an increased possibility of unintended vehicle movement, which increases the risk of a crash.

high 2,264 vehicles affected FMVSS 105 60% reported repaired

What was reported

Source: manufacturer filing, 49 CFR Part 573
Problem Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2006-2021 Vision and 2007-2013 All American school buses. The floor-mounted parking brake may fail to hold the vehicle stationary on an incline when the vehicle is loaded to its maximum weight, due to an insufficient application force. 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 A parking brake system that is set to an insufficient application force may result in an increased possibility of unintended vehicle movement, which increases the risk of a crash. Fix Blue Bird will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the floor mounted park brake application force hand lever assembly and correct the application force, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin June 24, 2020. Owners may contact Blue Bird customer service at 478-822-2242. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R20AO-SB.

Reported to NHTSA Apr 27, 2020 by Blue Bird Body Company, owners notified Jun 9, 2020.

Which vehicles are covered

Source: NHTSA campaign 20V234000
Model yearOn WhichTrim
2007 Blue Bird ALL American
2008 Blue Bird ALL American
2009 Blue Bird ALL American
2010 Blue Bird ALL American
2011 Blue Bird ALL American
2012 Blue Bird ALL American
2013 Blue Bird ALL American
2006 Blue Bird Vision
2007 Blue Bird Vision
2008 Blue Bird Vision
2009 Blue Bird Vision
2010 Blue Bird Vision
2011 Blue Bird Vision
2012 Blue Bird Vision
2013 Blue Bird Vision
2014 Blue Bird Vision
2015 Blue Bird Vision
2016 Blue Bird Vision
2017 Blue Bird Vision
2018 Blue Bird Vision
2019 Blue Bird Vision
2020 Blue Bird Vision School BUS
2021 Blue Bird Vision School BUS
2020 Blue Bird Vision Transit BUS
2021 Blue Bird Vision Transit BUS

None of the vehicles this campaign names has a page on WhichTrim: the catalogue covers the cars, trucks and SUVs the EPA certifies from 2016 on, and these vehicles fall outside it — older model years, or motorhomes, trailers, buses, motorcycles and chassis cabs the EPA does not rate. The campaign record above is complete as filed, and whether one specific vehicle is included is settled by its VIN. Other campaigns on vehicles without a page here →

How much of it has been fixed

Source: manufacturer quarterly report, 49 CFR 573.7
Reported repaired 60%

of the campaign

The final figure: the six quarters of reporting that 49 cfr 573.7 requires have closed.

This is the manufacturer's own cumulative count of vehicles it has inspected and repaired, divided by the vehicles the campaign covers. It files that count with NHTSA every quarter for six consecutive quarters, starting from the quarter in which owners were told a remedy was ready, and then the obligation ends — so a figure on an older campaign is where the count stopped, not where it stands today.

It rarely reaches 100%, and not because the work was not done. The same report asks manufacturers to count vehicles they could not reach at all — exported, stolen, scrapped, or simply never located — and those stay in the denominator. A low number means a lot of these vehicles are still out there unrepaired; it does not tell you which ones.

The federal paperwork

Source: nhtsa.gov

Filed documents

Check one specific vehicle

A recall applies to a build range, so year, make and model cannot settle it. NHTSA checks a VIN against the manufacturer's own list and tells you whether the repair is still outstanding on that vehicle.

NHTSA VIN recall lookup →

Campaign 20V234000 · the manufacturer calls it R20AO-SB

Own one, or run a fleet? Recall Watch checks each VIN against every new NHTSA campaign and emails you when one lands, this one's expansions included. Or take a free one-line alert by model year.

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Common questions

Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR Part 573

Is R20AO-SB the same recall as 20V234000?

Yes. R20AO-SB is the number Blue Bird Body Company uses for this campaign in its own paperwork and in the letter it sends owners. 20V234000 is the number NHTSA files it under. One recall, two references — dealers and service departments generally quote the manufacturer's.

Does this recall repair cost anything?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to remedy a safety defect or a compliance failure at no charge, for vehicles up to 15 years old measured from the date of first sale. A dealer that asks you to pay for a recall repair is in the wrong.

How do I know whether my vehicle is included?

By VIN, not by model year. The manufacturer files a build range with NHTSA and only vehicles inside it are covered, so two identical-looking cars from the same year can differ. NHTSA's own lookup checks a VIN against the manufacturer's list.

What if the repair is not available yet?

It happens, and often. Manufacturers must notify owners when a defect is found even if the parts or the software are not ready, then notify them a second time once the remedy exists. The remedy filed for this campaign is described above.

What did the manufacturer say was wrong?

The problem, risk and fix quoted on this page are the manufacturer's own words as filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR Part 573. WhichTrim does not paraphrase them.

Who started this recall?

NHTSA's record credits the manufacturer. A recall can begin with the manufacturer's own testing, with a defect investigation, or with a compliance test against a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.