Blue Bird L4RE recalls by model year
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
1 owner complaints analyzed
4 distinct recall campaigns
245,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2002 to 2009 model years. Data updated: . 1 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 1 |
| 2003 | 1 |
| 2004 | 1 |
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 4 |
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2009 | 2 |
2002: 1; 2003: 1; 2004: 1; 2005: 1; 2006: 1; 2007: 4; 2008: 3; 2009: 2
Year-by-year records
Recall history
4 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
08V278000 · Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel
Reported: 2008-06-23 (June 23, 2008) · Model years: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
NABI IS RECALLING 239 MY 2002-2007 BLUE BIRD C4RE AND L4RE TRANSIT BUSES EQUIPPED WITH A 'PRX1' MODULE. THE PRX1 MODULE IS A DEVICE WHICH TRANSMITS AN ELECTRIC SIGNAL TO THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, WHICH IS CONVERTED INTO AN AIR SYSTEM PRESSURE READING ON THE DASH MOUNTED GUAGE. ON CERTAIN MODULES, TIS READING IS INACCURATE CAUSING THE DISPLAYED PRESSURE TO BE OUTSIDE THE TOLERANCE OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 121, 'AIR BRAKE SYSTEMS.'
Consequence: IF THE AIR BRAKE SYSTEM DEVELOPS A LEAK, THE BVEHICLE OPERATOR MAY NOT BE AWARE DUE TO THE INACCURATE DASH READING. IF A LEAK OCCURS, THE SAFETY/'EMERGENCY BRAKES COULD SET WITHOUT ADEQUATE WARNING, APPLYING THE BRAKES PARTIALLY, WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, POSSIBLY CAUSING A CRASH.
Remedy: NABI WILL PROVIDE INSTRUCTIONS TO VEHICLE OWNERS/END-USERS TO ADD A SPECIFIC WIRE TO THE MODULE, CORRECTING THE PROBLEM. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 5, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NABI AT
NHTSA campaign record ↗08V434000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel
Reported: 2008-08-26 (August 26, 2008) · Model years: 2007, 2008
NORTH AMERICAN BUS INDUSTRIES (NABI) IS RECALLING 15 MY 2007-2008 BLUE-BIRD L4RE AND C4RE TRANSIT BUSES EQUIPPED WITH C7 OR C9 CATERPILLAR DIESEL ENGINES. THE FUEL PUMP OUTLET CHECK PLUG MAY BE CRACKED WHICH COULD CAUSE FUEL TO SPRAY AND LEAK.
Consequence: FUEL LEAKAGE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
Remedy: NABI IS WORKING WITH CATERPILLAR (PLEASE SEE 08E042). CATERPILLAR WILL REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP PLUG FREE OF CHARGE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CATERPILLAR AT 1-800-447-4986, OR NABI AT 1-888-391-1777.
NHTSA campaign record ↗13V011000 · Structure | Steering
Reported: 2013-01-11 (January 11, 2013) · Model years: 2007, 2008, 2009
North American Bus Industries Inc. (NABI) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 Blue Bird L4RE transit buses manufactured July 1, 2007, through October 31, 2009. The buses may have a defective steering gear attachment. Cracks may develop in the bracket that secures the power steering gear to the bus frame or the bus frame may crack around the bolts that attach the steering gear bracket to the frame.
Consequence: If left unchecked, the cracks may propagate and cause partial separation of the steering gear from the bus frame. This would cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: NABI will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair the buses free of charge. The recall began during March 2013. Owners may contact NABI at 1-256-831-4296.
NHTSA campaign record ↗13V457000 · Electrical System
Reported: 2013-09-19 (September 19, 2013) · Model years: 2007, 2008, 2009
North American Bus Industries (NABI) is recalling certain model year 2000-2011 LFW, CLFW, BRT, 2007-2009 Blue Bird L4RE, and 2000-2009 Optima Opus transit buses equipped with Sure Power battery equalizers containing a particular epoxy sealing, aka 'potting', compound. The specific potting compound used in the subject products for insulation was found to be capable of conducting electricity after being exposed to heat.
Consequence: Once electrically conductive, the material is capable of melting and burning, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: NABI will notify owners, and dealers will replace the equalizers, free of charge. An interim letter was mailed to owners on January 27, 2014. Owners may contact NABI at 1-256-831-4296. NABI's recall number is 20136.
NHTSA campaign record ↗Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
1 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure:Frame And Members | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 10413933 · 245,000 miON OUR 2004 AND 2005 L4RE BLUEBIRD BUSES WHERE THE STEERING GEAR MOUNTS TO THE FRAME THE FRAME IS CRACKING AROUND THE BOLT HOLES. WE HAVE A FLEET OF 8 AND WE HAVE FOUND 4 WITH CRACKS. *KB | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure:Frame And Members | Too few reports for a range | 245,000 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10413933 · 245,000 miON OUR 2004 AND 2005 L4RE BLUEBIRD BUSES WHERE THE STEERING GEAR MOUNTS TO THE FRAME THE FRAME IS CRACKING AROUND THE BOLT HOLES. WE HAVE A FLEET OF 8 AND WE HAVE FOUND 4 WITH CRACKS. *KB |
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
2008: 0 complaints · 2009: 0 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Structure:Frame And Members |
|---|---|
| Structure:Frame And Members | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.