1998 Blue Bird ALL American Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other ALL American years
- Not enough data 9th of 25 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 9 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA about the 1998 Blue Bird ALL American. That ranks 9th out of 25 ALL American model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes, air (1 complaints, 100%). There are 9 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 1owner complaints
- 9safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 Blue Bird ALL American problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 100% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
1998 Blue Bird ALL American recalls (9)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, diesel
Problem: Certain 1998 through 2002 blue bird all american, tc2000 school and transit buses, and commercial series buses equipped with cummins isb diesel engines. The fuel pump could fail to transfer fuel appropriately creating an engine stall condition.
Risk: Should the engine stall while the vehicle is in use, a possible vehicle crash could occur.
Fix: Customers will be notified by cummins to bring their vehicles to an authorized dealer to have the fuel lift pump replaced free of charge. For more information, customers may contact cummins at 1-800-diesels.
Electrical system:alternator/generator/regulator
Problem: On certain school and transit buses equipped with cummins isb 6 cylinder engines, the lower alternator support brace or mounting hardware can loosen or break which will allow the alternator to drop onto the engine.
Risk: In this event, the electrical wiring harness may be damaged and the possibility of fire may exist.
Fix: Cummins will notify customers and replace the upper and lower alternator support brackets free of charge. Owners who take their vehicle to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact cummins at 1-800-343-7357 or blue bird at 478-822-2242.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: Certain transit buses fail to comply with requirements of federal motor vehicle standard no. 101, "controls and displays." this standard requires specific labeling for "engine start" and "engine stop." the wording of the labels on these vehicles do not meet the requirements of the standard.
Risk: The operator could place the engine switch in a position other than that intended, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Owners will be provided with new decals and installation instructions. Owner notification began august 29, 2002. Owners who do not receive the free label and installation instructions within a reasonable time should contact blue bird at 1-478-822-2242.
Electrical system:wiring
Problem: Vehicle description: school and transit buses equipped with rear mounted engines. The 12-volt power supply cable(s) may be chaffed by hoses, harnesses, frame components, or clamps.
Risk: This condition can result in power failure and/or risk of fire in the engine compartment.
Fix: Dealers will remove and inspect the 12-volt power cable(s) from the battery to the starter and, if necessary, will replace the cables. Owner notification began july 30, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact blue bird at 1-912-822-2242.
Service brakes, air:antilock
Problem: Vehicle description: school and transit buses built with bendix air abs with an ec-17 1030r electronic control unit (ecu), there have been reports of unwanted abs activation at low speeds caused by 1) chafed abs wheel speed sensor wires on rotating parts or 2) a damaged component at the wheel end that generates a certain type of erratic sensor signal.
Risk: This condition could cause the abs ecu to exhaust the air at the air brake modulators for one or more of the wheels. This could result in extended braking distances and a possible crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the abs ecu.
Service brakes, air:controls:foot control/valve
Problem: Vehicle description: school and transit buses equipped with bendix air brakes. Bendix changed the internal design of the qr1c relay valve by adding a hole in the internal diaphragm. When the hole in the diaphragm aligns with the hole in the valve body, the brake application time increases.
Risk: Under certain conditions, such as parked on an incline, driver activates the parking brake but removes foot from the threadle valve, the bus could roll before the parking brake is fully engaged.
Fix: Dealers will replace the diaphragms with holes with solid diaphragms for the qr1c valves.
Steering:hydraulic power assist system
Problem: Vehicle description: front engine school and transit buses. The power distribution unit (pdu) cables are inadequately supported or routed in close proximity to the steering pitman arm.
Risk: The cable can chafe resulting in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Owners will be provided with step by step repair instructions for re-routing the wires.
Service brakes, air:supply:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: Vehicle description: school and transit buses equipped with bendix abs anti-lock braking system. The primary and secondary brake treadle valve air lines were installed incorrectly at the bendix r12dc relay valve.
Risk: With the brake system installed incorrectly, future maintenance might be affected by this inconsistency, causing the brakes to be installed incorrect, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will correct the air line plumbing at the bendix r12dc relay valve.
Vehicle speed control
Problem: Vehicle description: transit and school buses. Movement of the hand throttle cable in the accelerator bracket rubs a groove in the bracket. The hand throttle cable can become wedged in this groove preventing the accelerator from returning to the idle position.
Risk: The throttle cable would not return to the idle position, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Owners will be contacted and advised to disconnect the hand throttle cable until replacement parts are available.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Bendix abs anti-lock brking system failed prior to recall notice 00v-051. Nlm
Other Blue Bird ALL American years
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Blue Bird ALL American?
Owners most often report service brakes, air problems. The top one, service brakes, air, accounts for 1 complaint.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Blue Bird ALL American?
Yes, 9 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 Blue Bird ALL American a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other ALL American model years, the 1998 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.