Illustration1998 INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BUS INSTRUMENT PANEL. *TR
1998 International Harvester 3800
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 3800 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 2 of 4 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
3 reportsINSTRUMENT PANEL DOES NOT WORK AND IT IS A PROBLEM THAT COMES FROM INTERNATIONAL AS TOLD TO US BY INTERNATIONAL SERVICE MAN. WE CAN PAY 600 DOLLARS TO HAVE IT FIXED WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY IF IT COMES FROM INTERNATIONAL. WE HAVE 3 BUSES ALL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. *JB
WHILE DRIVING THE OPERATOR SMELLED SOMETHING HOT. UPON STOPPING AND EXITING THE VEHICLE THE OPERATOR SAW FIRE COMMING FROM BEHIND THE MOTOR COMPARTMENT THROUGH THE WHEEL WELL. HE WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE.*AK OUR MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE CLAMPS HOLDING THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE BATTERY L…
Read full complaint
WHILE DRIVING THE OPERATOR SMELLED SOMETHING HOT. UPON STOPPING AND EXITING THE VEHICLE THE OPERATOR SAW FIRE COMMING FROM BEHIND THE MOTOR COMPARTMENT THROUGH THE WHEEL WELL. HE WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE.*AK OUR MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE CLAMPS HOLDING THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE BATTERY LEADS HAD WORN THROUGH THE INSULATION CREATING A DEAD SHORT. THE SAME DEFECT WAS DISCOVERED ON ANOTHER OF OUR SCHOOL BUSES THAT HAD BEEN PURCHASED AT THE SAME TIME.
Official recalls
103V062000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc
Feb 25, 2003
ON CERTAIN SCHOOL AND TRANSIT BUSES BUILT WITH BOSCH ZERO OFFSET PIN SLIDE (ZOPS) HYDRAULIC DISC BRAKES, THE ZOPS HYDRAULIC DISC BRAKES MAY EXPERIENCE CALIPERS STICKING IN THE APPLIED POSITION, WHICH CAN RESULT IN EXCESSIVE OR ABNORMAL HEAT GENERATION AT ONE OR MORE OF THE BRAKES.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE COMBINATION OF THE FOLLOWING FACTORS MAY COLLECTIVELY RESULT IN AN UNREASONABLE RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY: POTENTIAL FIRE AT A WHEEL END, HIGH INCIDENT RATES OF STUCK CALIPERS, AND EVACUATION AND CONTAINMENT CONCERNS RELATING TO MULTIPLE PASSENGERS.
Remedy: INTERNATIONAL WILL NOTIFY ITS CUSTOMERS AND REPAIR THE BUSES FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN OCTOBER 29, 2004.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1EA02034 · Overheating Front And Rear Brakes
Opened Dec 3, 2002 · Closed Feb 10, 2004
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
THIS INVESTIGATION FOCUSED ON INTERNATIONAL MEDIUM DUTY TRUCKSAND SCHOOL BUS CHASSIS WEIGHING UP TO 33,000 POUNDS, EQUIPPED WITH HYDRAULIC BRAKES AND BUILT WITH THE BOSCH ZERO OFFSET PIN SLIDE (ZOPS)BRAKE SYSTEM CALIPERS.INTERNATIONAL USED THE ZOPS CALIPERS FROM APRIL 1997 THROUGH JUNE 2002.ODI WAS CONCERNED ABOUT REPORTS OF THE BRAKE CALIPERS STICKING IN THE APPLIED POSITION, RESULTING IN EXCESSIVE HEAT.AS THE INVESTIGATION PROGRESSED, ODI BECAME AWARE OF WHEEL END FIRES, SOME OF WHICH OCCURRED ON SCHOOL BUSES.DURING THE INVESTIGATION ODI OBTAINED WARRANTY DATA WHICH WAS SORTED AND ANALYZED BY VRTC TEST ENGINEERS AND ODI TO GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM.AFTER A THOROUGH WARRANTY DATA ANALYSIS, RELATED TESTING AND DOCUMENT REVIEWS, ODI MET WITH INTERNATIONAL, SHARED THE DATA ANALYSIS AND SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, INTERNATIONAL AGREED TO A SAFETY RECALL.FURTHER DETAILS ARE INCLUDED ON PAGES 2 - 4.