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NHTSA campaign 13V457000 · Manufacturer campaign 20136

North American Bus Industries, Inc. Recall 13V-457: Battery Equalizers/DC-DC Converters-Possible Fire

NHTSA recall 13V457000 (Manufacturer campaign 20136) was reported by North American Bus Industries, Inc. on September 19, 2013, with 4,061 vehicles potentially affected (per NHTSA). NHTSA's record lists the Nabi BRT, Nabi Clfw, Nabi LFW and more for model years 2000–2011.

Updated daily from NHTSA's recall files

Is my vehicle included?

This page lists, by model year, the vehicles NHTSA's recall record names for campaign 13V457000 in the model years try.vin imports (1995 and later); NHTSA's own record can list more. A model year on the list doesn't mean every vehicle of that year is included, and some may already have been repaired.

To see whether a specific vehicle is included and still needs the repair, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Free VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.

Key facts

NHTSA campaign
13V457000 (also written 13V-457 or 13V457)
Filed by
North American Bus Industries, Inc.
Manufacturer campaign number
20136
Report received
Potentially affected
4,061 vehicles (per NHTSA)
Component
Electrical System

Repair completion: 82.22% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated October 21, 2026)

NHTSA cautions against comparing completion rates across recalls or manufacturers. How try.vin reads them.

Vehicles listed for this recall

NHTSA's recall record lists these vehicles for recall 13V457000. try.vin imports model years 1995 and later, so NHTSA's own list can be longer. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to it. Build dates are NHTSA's range for a model year (per NHTSA); a vehicle built in that range is not necessarily included.

Blue Bird

  • Blue Bird L4RE

    • 2007, 2008, 2009 · Vehicles built July 1, 2007 – October 31, 2009 (per NHTSA)
All Blue Bird recalls

Nabi

All Nabi recalls

Optima

All Optima recalls

NHTSA's recall notice

As NHTSA's recall record states it for campaign 13V457000.

Defect description

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.

Safety consequence

Once electrically conductive, the material is capable of melting and burning, increasing the risk of a fire.

Manufacturer 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.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Sources

Official NHTSA notice for recall 13V457000

Campaign details come from NHTSA's recall files, which try.vin imports once a day. The plain-language subject and the completion rate come from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Recalls Data dataset. How try.vin reads recall data.