Recall 11V351 covers 121 2007-2011 Blue Bird All American school buses for an incorrectly plumbed park brake interlock. Dealers repaired affected buses free.
Blue Bird is recalling 121 2007-2011 All American school buses equipped with the optional park brake valve interlock because the valve was plumbed incorrectly. The park brake can apply without warning, increasing crash risk with possible property damage, injury, or death, and the Blue Bird dealer repair will be free once available.
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What's wrong?
The parking brake system on 2007-2011 Blue Bird All American school buses holds the bus still after it is stopped and parked. On buses equipped with the optional park brake valve interlock feature, an air valve ties the parking brake control into an interlock circuit. That interlock is meant to help keep the brake released or applied only under the correct operating conditions.
On affected buses, the optional interlock valve was plumbed incorrectly. In plain terms, the air lines to the valve were routed in the wrong way, so the valve does not respond as intended. That incorrect plumbing can apply the parking brake when the driver has not commanded it. The issue is in the valve setup, not in normal brake wear.
There is no warning sign before failure. The filing says the park brake application can happen without prior warning, so the driver has no reliable light, noise, pedal feel, or routine symptom to catch before the brake applies.
Who's affected?
Spans 5 model years of the same All American bus line, all tied to the parking brake component.
| 2009 Blue Bird All American | Parking brake |
|---|---|
| 2008 Blue Bird All American | Parking brake |
| 2010 Blue Bird All American | Parking brake |
| 2011 Blue Bird All American | Parking brake |
| 2007 Blue Bird All American | Parking brake |
| Units affected | 121 |
A matching year and model does not guarantee inclusion. Check your VIN to confirm whether this recall applies to your specific bus.
What's the safety risk?
Inadvertent park brake valve application can cause a crash, with risk of property damage, personal injury, or death. There is no listed warning sign, so confirm the campaign completion status before regular service if the bus VIN is included. Repair will be free at any franchised Blue Bird dealer once available.
What should I do?
- Check your VIN to confirm your 2007-2011 Blue Bird All American is included in this recall.
- Contact Blue Bird customer service to confirm the bus was inspected or repaired; Blue Bird says owner letters were not issued for this campaign.
- Ask a franchised Blue Bird dealer to verify completion of the park-brake interlock valve inspection or repair that fixes incorrect plumbing linked to unintended park-brake application.
- Reference recall number 11V351 when you call Blue Bird or the dealer.
- Avoid passenger service until Blue Bird or the dealer confirms the park-brake interlock repair is complete.
What happens at the repair
At the dealer, a Blue Bird technician checks the optional park brake interlock valve plumbing and corrects the brake valve setup if it was routed wrong. The recall work is free of charge. Blue Bird's filing says all buses in this campaign were inspected and, where needed, repaired, so no owner notification letter was issued for this campaign. If your bus still shows recall 11V351 as open, contact a Blue Bird dealer and ask the service desk to confirm the repair record before the bus returns to service.
Timeline
| July 8, 2011 | NHTSA published the recall |
|---|---|
| July 24, 2011 | Owner notification mailed |
Frequently asked questions
What is recall 11V351?
Recall 11V351 covers 121 2007-2011 Blue Bird All American school buses with an optional park brake valve interlock that was plumbed incorrectly. The defect can apply the parking brake without warning, creating crash risk with property damage, injury, or death. Blue Bird dealers inspected and repaired the buses for free.
What should I do if my 2007-2011 Blue Bird All American is on this recall?
Check your VIN to confirm your specific bus is included in recall 11V351. If it is, contact a franchised Blue Bird dealer and reference recall number 11V351. Blue Bird says all included buses were inspected and repaired if needed.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Federal recall law requires manufacturers to repair safety defects at no cost, and Blue Bird said dealers would repair the affected buses free of charge. Parts and labor are covered at a franchised Blue Bird dealer.
What is the safety risk?
The safety risk is unintended parking brake application without prior warning. If the parking brake applies while the bus is moving, the bus can crash, with risk of property damage, injury, or death. The recall repair corrects the incorrectly plumbed park brake interlock valve.
What warning signs should I watch for?
There is no warning sign before failure in recall 11V351. The filing says the optional park brake interlock valve defect can cause inadvertent park brake application without prior warning. That is why VIN confirmation and dealer repair status matter for this bus.
More information
| NHTSA campaign page | nhtsa.gov/vehicle-recalls/11V351000 |
|---|---|
| Blue Bird customer service | 1-478-822-2242 |
| NHTSA recall # | 11V351 |
| NHTSA recall # (full) | 11V351000 |
Source documents
-
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 2, 2026. RecallNotify does not paraphrase NHTSA's consequence language; that text is reproduced as written above. Editorial standards →