Recall 18V263 covers 4,886 2018-2019 Blue Bird Vision and All American school buses with incorrect air-brake gauge readings. Repair is free at Blue Bird dealers.
Blue Bird is recalling 4,886 2018-2019 Vision and All American school buses because the primary and secondary air brake gauges can incorrectly show 0 PSI instead of the actual tank pressure. If pressure drops and the gauges are wrong, the driver loses the warning needed to respond, increasing crash risk; Blue Bird dealers will repair the buses free of charge.
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What's wrong?
The 2018-2019 Blue Bird Vision and All American school buses use air brake gauges in the instrument cluster to show pressure in the primary and secondary air tanks. Those tanks store compressed air for the brake system, and the gauges tell the driver whether pressure is available before and during operation.
On affected buses, the Ametek Dixon instrument cluster has a timing problem between the pair of microprocessors inside the cluster. One processor drives the air pressure gauges. When the processors fall out of sync, the gauges can intermittently show 0 PSI even though the brake system still has pressure in the tanks. The defect is in the display logic, not a confirmed loss of air pressure.
The warning sign is the gauge reading itself. The driver can see 0 PSI on the gauges while brake pedal response shows that system pressure remains present.
Who's affected?
Covers both Vision and All American buses across the 2018 and 2019 model years, with the instrument panel and air-brake system listed.
| 2019 Blue Bird Vision | instrument panel |
|---|---|
| 2019 Blue Bird Vision | brake system |
| 2019 Blue Bird All American | instrument panel |
| 2019 Blue Bird All American | brake system |
| 2018 Blue Bird Vision | instrument panel |
| 2018 Blue Bird Vision | brake system |
| 2018 Blue Bird All American | instrument panel |
| 2018 Blue Bird All American | brake system |
| Units affected | 4,886 |
| Field incidents | NHTSA has logged no field incidents to date. |
A matching year and model does not guarantee inclusion. Check your VIN to confirm whether your specific bus is included.
What's the safety risk?
A mismatch between the air pressure gauges and actual tank pressure hides dropping air pressure from the operator and increases crash risk. If the gauges show 0 air pressure while the brakes still respond, treat that as a warning sign and schedule the software update soon. Repair is free at any franchised Blue Bird dealer.
What should I do?
- Check your VIN to confirm your 2018-2019 Blue Bird Vision or All American bus is included in this recall.
- Contact a franchised Blue Bird dealer to schedule the free display software update that fixes the incorrect air brake gauge readings.
- Bring the recall notice if Blue Bird mailed one. If not, reference recall number 18V263 when you call.
- Watch the air brake gauges until the repair is complete, and stop operating the bus if the display shows 0 PSI or gives unreliable pressure information.
What happens at the repair
At the dealer, a Blue Bird technician updates the display software so the instrument cluster reads the air brake tank pressure correctly instead of intermittently showing 0 PSI. The software update and labor are free under recall 18V263. Blue Bird has a general reimbursement plan on file for owners who already paid for a related repair before the recall notice. Bring documentation for that prior repair to Blue Bird customer service or the dealer service desk and ask how to submit it under the plan.
| Reimbursement | Reimbursement available |
|---|
Timeline
| April 25, 2018 | NHTSA published the recall |
|---|---|
| May 18, 2018 | Dealer notification began |
| May 18, 2018 | Dealer notification ended |
| May 18, 2018 | Interim owner notification (was planned for this date) |
| August 1, 2018 | Owner notification mailed |
Frequently asked questions
What is recall 18V263?
Recall 18V263 covers 4,886 2018-2019 Blue Bird Vision and All American school buses with instrument-cluster software that can show false "0 PSI" readings on the primary and secondary air brake gauges. Blue Bird dealers will update the display software for free.
What should I do if my 2018-2019 Blue Bird Vision or All American is on this recall?
Check your VIN to confirm your specific bus is included in recall 18V263. If it is, contact a franchised Blue Bird dealer to schedule the display software update. Reference recall 18V263 or Blue Bird recall number R18ZE-SB when you call.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Federal recall law requires the manufacturer to repair the defect at no cost. Blue Bird dealers will update the instrument-cluster display software free of charge, and Blue Bird customer service is available at 1-478-822-2242.
What is the safety risk in recall 18V263?
The risk is that the driver loses accurate air-pressure information. If the gauges do not show the actual tank pressure, the operator will not know when air pressure is dropping, increasing the risk of a crash.
What warning signs should I watch for?
Watch for the primary or secondary air brake gauge intermittently reading "0 PSI" when the air tanks are not actually at zero pressure. The recall concerns the gauge display, not a command to stop driving, but the bus needs the dealer software update.
More information
| NHTSA campaign page | nhtsa.gov/vehicle-recalls/18V263000 |
|---|---|
| Blue Bird customer service | 1-478-822-2242 |
| NHTSA recall # | 18V263 |
| NHTSA recall # (full) | 18V263000 |
Source documents
-
Download Recall Document (PDF) (PDF) - Download Recall Investigation Document (PDF) (PDF)
- Download Owner Notification Letter (PDF)
- Download Owner Notice (PDF)
- Download Recall Report (PDF)
- Download Quarterly Report (PDF)
- Download Recall Acknowledgement (PDF)
This article is generated from NHTSA's primary recall filings and reviewed against the source on May 25, 2026. RecallNotify does not paraphrase NHTSA's consequence language; that text is reproduced as written above. Editorial standards →