Recall 10V628 affects 143 2011 Blue Bird All American school buses with side panel joints lacking adhesive. Free rivet repair at franchised Blue Bird dealers.
Blue Bird is recalling 143 2011 All American school buses under recall 10V628 because required adhesive was not used on outside side-panel joints. In a crash, those joints can fail to hold as intended, allowing panels to loosen or separate. This raises the risk of injury to passengers, and the Blue Bird dealer repair will be free once available.
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What's wrong?
The outside side panels on the 2011 Blue Bird All American are part of the school bus body shell. These metal panels attach along body joints, and those joints need the specified adhesive so the panels stay bonded to the surrounding structure. The adhesive helps the side panels meet the body joint strength required for school buses.
On affected buses, Blue Bird says the required side panel joint adhesive was not used during production on buses built with 20 gauge outside side panels. Without that adhesive, the joint does not meet the federal school bus body joint strength requirement. The problem is not a normal wear item or a maintenance issue; it happened during assembly.
There is no warning sign before failure. An owner, driver, or technician should not expect a warning light, sound, or handling change that proves the joint is weak.
Who's affected?
| 2011 Blue Bird All American | body structure |
|---|---|
| Units affected | 143 |
Not every 2011 Blue Bird All American bus is on the list. Check your VIN to confirm whether your specific bus is included.
What's the safety risk?
In a crash, side panel joints can fail to hold the panels as intended. Loose or separated panels increase the risk of injury to passengers. Until the additional rivets are installed, keep passengers seated and report any loose side panels before the bus carries passengers again. Repair will be free at any franchised Blue Bird dealer once available.
What should I do?
- Check your VIN to confirm your 2011 Blue Bird All American is included in this recall.
- Use Blue Bird's owner notice or call Blue Bird customer service at 1-478-822-2242 for current repair instructions.
- Ask a franchised Blue Bird dealer about the free rivet repair that reinforces the side panel joints.
- Reference recall number 10V628 when you call the dealer or Blue Bird customer service.
- Avoid carrying passengers until Blue Bird confirms the side panel joint repair is complete.
What happens at the repair
At the dealer, a Blue Bird technician adds additional rivets to the outside side panel joints where the required adhesive was missing during production. The known repair is mechanical and panel focused: secure the affected joints so the school bus body panels meet the recall remedy. Because the remedy status is not listed as available, treat the final dealer repair as free once available through Blue Bird.
Timeline
| December 16, 2010 | NHTSA published the recall |
|---|---|
| January 26, 2011 | Owner notification mailed |
Frequently asked questions
What is recall 10V628?
Recall 10V628 covers 143 2011 Blue Bird All American D3 school buses built with 20 gauge outside side panels. The side panel joint adhesive required for school bus body joint strength was left out during production, so Blue Bird dealers add additional rivets for free.
What should I do if my 2011 Blue Bird All American is on this recall?
Check your VIN to confirm your specific bus is included in recall 10V628. If it is, contact a franchised Blue Bird dealer or Blue Bird at 1-478-822-2242 and ask to schedule the free rivet repair. Reference recall 10V628 when you call.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Federal recall law requires the manufacturer to repair the defect at no cost, and Blue Bird's remedy says dealers add additional rivets free of charge. Parts and labor are covered for buses included in recall 10V628.
What is the safety risk?
The risk is passenger injury in a crash. If the side panel joints do not hold as intended, the panels can loosen or separate during impact. The repair adds rivets to strengthen the affected body joints.
When did the Blue Bird recall repair start?
Blue Bird began the safety recall on January 26, 2011. Owners with an included 2011 All American school bus can contact a franchised Blue Bird dealer or Blue Bird at 1-478-822-2242 to arrange the free repair.
More information
| NHTSA campaign page | nhtsa.gov/vehicle-recalls/10V628000 |
|---|---|
| Blue Bird customer service | 1-478-822-2242 |
| NHTSA recall # | 10V628 |
| NHTSA recall # (full) | 10V628000 |
Source documents
-
Download Recall Document (PDF) (PDF) - Download Owner Notification Letter (PDF)
- Download Recall Document (PDF) (PDF)
- Download Defect / Noncompliance Notice (PDF) (PDF)
- Download Recall Acknowledgement (PDF)
This article is generated from NHTSA's primary recall filings and reviewed against the source on June 3, 2026. RecallNotify does not paraphrase NHTSA's consequence language; that text is reproduced as written above. Editorial standards →