1986 Blue Bird CONVENTIONAL: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
0 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1986 model year. Data updated: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
No owner complaints are recorded for this selection. A complaint can name multiple components.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
No usable records for this chart.
| Category | Count |
|---|
No records.
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
No usable failure mileage is recorded. 0 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
No usable records for this chart.
| Category | Count |
|---|
No records.
Pattern summary
There is not enough complaint evidence to summarize patterns.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Recall history
1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
07V398000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System:Hoses/Lines/Piping/Fittings
Reported: 2007-08-30 (August 30, 2007)
CERTAIN BLUE BIRD CONVENTIONAL SCHOOL BUSES BUILT WITH AN OPTIONAL FIREWALL HEATER HOSE CONNECTOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE BUS AND MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 21, 1985, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 14, 1993.
Consequence: IN THE EVENT THE HEATER HOSE RUPTURE SOR THE HOSE CONNECTION SEPARATES, HOT ENGINE COOLANT MAY CONTACT THE DRIVER AND MAY CAUSE INJURY.
Remedy: BLUE BIRD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPAIR THESE BUSES BY INSTALLING A METAL PROTECTIVE SHIELD OVER THE HEATER HOSES FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 15, 2008. OWNERS CAN CONTACT BLUE BIRD AT 478-822-2242.
NHTSA campaign record ↗Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
0 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 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2014 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Electrical System | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 10734469TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BLUE BIRD CONVENTIONAL. WHILE AT A STOP SIGN, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THERE WAS SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND A FIRE ERUPTED. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE CHILDREN EXITED THE BUS WITH THE DRIVER'S ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AV… | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 11140635 · 16,329 miINSTRUMENT CLUSTER BECOMES COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE WHILE DRIVING MAKING THE OPERATOR UNAWARE OF ANY MALFUNCTIONS WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN UNSAFE CONDITION. ...*BF.. UPDATED 10/29/18*JB *DT *JB |
| Engine | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 10734469TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BLUE BIRD CONVENTIONAL. WHILE AT A STOP SIGN, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THERE WAS SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND A FIRE ERUPTED. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE CHILDREN EXITED THE BUS WITH THE DRIVER'S ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AV… | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 11066619 · 23,307 miON 12.05.17 THE INVOLVED BLUE BIRD SCHOOL BUS EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION EVENT AND DESPITE DRIVER ATTEMPTS TO SLOW THE BUS BY SHIFTING TO NEUTRAL, GEAR 1 THEN GEAR 2 AND POSSIBLY OTHER EFFORTS (WE HAVE VIDEO DEMONSTRATING THIS), THE BUS CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UNTIL COMING TO REST FOLLOWING IMPACT WITH A DITCH AND TREE RESULTING IN THE DEATH OF A 5 YEAR OLD PASSENGER. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING OPERATED ON A COUNTY DIRT ROAD. *TR *BF *TR | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 11066619 · 23,307 miON 12.05.17 THE INVOLVED BLUE BIRD SCHOOL BUS EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION EVENT AND DESPITE DRIVER ATTEMPTS TO SLOW THE BUS BY SHIFTING TO NEUTRAL, GEAR 1 THEN GEAR 2 AND POSSIBLY OTHER EFFORTS (WE HAVE VIDEO DEMONSTRATING THIS), THE BUS CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UNTIL COMING TO REST FOLLOWING IMPACT WITH A DITCH AND TREE RESULTING IN THE DEATH OF A 5 YEAR OLD PASSENGER. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING OPERATED ON A COUNTY DIRT ROAD. *TR *BF *TR | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 10367831I WOULD LIKE TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE NEW DESIGN OF SCHOOL BUS ESCAPE WINDOWS. IN THE PAST, THESE WINDOWS WERE HINGED ALONG THE TOP AND SWUNG OUT FROM THE BOTTOM. THE NEW DESIGN IS HINGED ON THE FRONT AND THEY SWING OUT FROM THE BACK. I FEEL THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS TO SMALL CHILDREN WHO MAY ACCIDENTALLY RELEASE THE LATCH, OPEN THE WINDOW AND FALL OUT OF THE SCHOOL BUS TO THE GROUND BELOW. I PICTURE A SCENARIO WHERE A SMALL CHILD MAY STAND UP ON THE SEAT ( YES I KNOW THEY SHOULD NOT STAND UP ON THE SEAT BUT YOU CANNOT PREDICT THE ACT… | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Service Brakes | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 11252923 · 48,000 miREAR BRAKE WEAR EXCESSIVE THIS SCHOOL BUS REQUIRES REAR BRAKES EVERY 5000 MILES AND AT TIMES EVEN LESS HAVING BEEN IN CONTACT WITH BLUE BIRD AND GETTING NO FACTORY HELP ITS TIME TO SEEK HELP |
| Structure | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Structure:Body | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No usable records for this analysis. | ||||
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.
2017: 1 complaints · 2018: 2 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2018 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 | 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 |
|---|
| No usable records for this analysis. |
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.