Thousands of School Buses Pulled from Roads Over Fire Risk

School is starting soon, and for many families that means the return of one routine: getting up in the morning and catching the bus. But what happens when school buses are recalled? You may find out sooner than later. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 17,000 school buses have brake issues that pose a fire risk. If your district uses the affected buses, it’s a good idea to find an alternative means of transportation until you receive word from your district that there is safe transportation available.

Why Are These Buses Dangerous?

According to the NHTSA report, the buses in question have electrical issues with their brake pressure switch assemblies. In the impacted buses, “the brake pressure switch assembly may leak brake fluid into the brake pressure switch’s electrical components and cause an electrical short-circuit.” Brake issues are always dangerous, but this particular issue is more dangerous because “an electrical short in the brake pressure switch can overheat the circuit and increase the risk of a fire while driving or parked.”

Which School Buses Are Being Recalled?

The NHTSA says that International Motors, LLC (International) is recalling nearly 17,000 vehicles. If your district uses any of the following school buses, you may want to arrange alternative transportation until you get directions otherwise. The list of faulty school buses includes:

• 2016 IC Bus CESB
• 2017 IC Bus CESB
• 2018 IC Bus CESB
• 2019 IC Bus CESB
• 2020 IC Bus CESB
• 2021 IC Bus CESB
• 2022 IC Bus CESB
• 2023 IC Bus CESB

Some of these buses were repaired under a previous recall, number 23V398, but that repair was insufficient.

What Can You Do?

The NHTSA has advised owners to “park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete.” International Motors will be mailing out owner notification letters in late September 2025 and they say that “dealers will install a silicone black jumper harness, free of charge.”

Owners who have further questions can reach International customer service at 1-800-448-7825; they’ll need to specify that they’re asking about recall 25510. As mentioned above, “vehicles previously repaired under 23V398 will need to have the new remedy completed.” The NHTSA number for this recall is 25V503000.”

As far as the general public goes, if you know for a fact that your district uses any of these buses you should consider arranging alternative transportation to and from school until you hear that the buses are safe again.

Source

Brake Pressure Switch May Short and Cause Fire, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2025.

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