The defect
ON CERTAIN SCHOOL AND TRANSIT BUSES EQUIPPED WITH CATERPILLAR 3126E ENGINES AND FELSTED ELECTRONIC PEDAL ASSEMBLIES, AN INTERNAL RETURN SPRING ON THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR WAS INCORRECTLY MANUFACTURED. THE SPRING, WHICH IS TOO LONG, CUTS A TRACE INTO THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD CAUSING THE SENSOR TO FAIL.
The risk
THIS WILL CAUSE THE ENGINE TO RETURN TO IDLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSORS. ANY CHAFED BRAKE HOSES WILL BE REPLACED. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN DECEMBER 12, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BLUE BIRD AT 1-478-822-2242.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Blue Bird ALL American | 2000 |
Components: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Bird ALL American | 2000 | 0 | 16 |
Other vehicle speed control recalls in 2002
25 of the 434 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2002 concerned the vehicle speed control; BLUE BIRD BODY COMPANY filed 251 campaigns in all.
| 02V298000 12 Nov 2002 | NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. |
| 02V262000 24 Sept 2002 | MOTO GUZZI NORTH AMERICA |
| 02V004010 20 Sept 2002 | INTERNATIONAL TRUCK AND ENGINE |
| 02V004009 19 Sept 2002 | SPARTAN MOTORS, INC. |
| 02V248000 16 Sept 2002 | FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION |
| 02V004011 10 Sept 2002 | CHANCE COACH, INC. |
| 02V186000 8 Jul 2002 | DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION |
| 02V161000 14 Jun 2002 | DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2002