NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE05-028: SCHOOL BUS STALLS
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE05-028 on May 25, 2005 and closed it on September 27, 2005. NHTSA's investigations file lists 3 Blue Bird models for it and links recall 05V-382 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE05-028 (also written PE05028)
- Investigation type
- Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
- Status
- Closed September 27, 2005
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Blue Bird Body Company
- Component
- Electrical System — 12V/24V/48V Battery — Cables
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 05V-382: BATTERY DISCONNECT SWITCH, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 3 Blue Bird models, including the All American and TC2000
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE05-028.
try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.
THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED AFTER ODI RECEIVED A COMPLAINT FROM A SCHOOL BUS FLEET REPORTING THAT THREE SEPARATE BUSES HAD STALLED UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE THEY WERE LOADED WITH CHILDREN.REPORTEDLY, EACH TIME THE FAILURE OCCURRED THE MASTER BATTERY SHUT-OFF SWITCH WAS IDENTIFIED AS BEING DEFECTIVE.ODI OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION TO GATHER SPECIFIC INFORMATION AND DETAILS INTO THESE ALLEGATIONS.AS A RESULT OF ODI?S INVESTIGATION, BLUE BIRD HAS AGREED TO INITATE A SAFETY RECALL TO REPLACE THE STANDARD NUT ON THE 10/32 STUD WITH A LOCKING NUT, CHECK FOR PROPER WIRING INSTALLATION , AND REPOSITION THE WIRES SO THAT THEY DO NOT STRESS THE STUD.A COPY OF THE RECALL IS ATTACHED.BLUE BIRD'S ACTION RESOLVES THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION AND THEREFORE, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE05-028. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
What an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Free VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE05-028
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.