NHTSA Publishes List of May 2002 Recalls |
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National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
July 31, 2002
NHTSA 53-02
Wednesday, July 31, 2002
Contact: Tim Hurd
Tel. No. (202) 366-9550
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today released a list of auto safety recalls announced in May 2002 and urged consumers to have the problems fixed promptly.
The list identifies the make and model of the vehicle or equipment involved, with a brief description of the safety problem.
NHTSA said it is publicizing the recalls to alert consumers about safety problems and encourages them to take action. Under federal law, safety problems must be remedied without cost to consumers. Currently, 72 percent of the owners of vehicles with safety problems have the recall work performed.
NHTSA said manufacturers are required to mail a recall notice to all purchasers, owners and dealers when a safety defect or noncompliance with federal safety standards is found. The agency urges owners to wait until they receive notification from the manufacturer before contacting their dealers to schedule the repair work. Not all vehicles of a particular make and model may be subject to the recall.
Consumers can get up-to-the-minute information on safety recall campaigns, or information on the recall history of a particular make and model of car, truck, motorcycle, or child safety seat, by calling the agency's toll-free Auto Safety Hotline, 1-888-327-4236 or by accessing NHTSA on the Internet at The Hotline also can be used to report safety problem.
SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGNS
May 2002
VEHICLES:
CARS, VANS, LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS AND MOTORCYCLES
American Honda Motor Company
Models: Acura 3.5RL Years: 2000-2002
Number Involved: 25,765
Dates of Manufacture: February 2000 - March 2002
Defect: On certain passenger vehicles, during the manufacturing process, oil was applied to the brake pedal assembly to prevent rust. This oil can leak into the brake stop switch and contaminate the electrical contacts. Eventually, the brake lights will not illuminate when the brakes are applied, which increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will clean any excess oil from the pedal assembly and replace the stop switch.
The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began June 19, 2002. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Acura at 1-800-382-2238.
American Honda Motor Company
| Models: | Honda Civic | Years: 1998-2000 |
| Honda Prelude | Years: 1997-1999 | |
| Honda Accord | Years: 1997-1999 | |
| Honda Odyssey | Years: 1997-1999 | |
| Honda CR-V | Years: 1997-1999 | |
| Acura CL | Years: 1997-1999 | |
| Acura TL | Year: 1999 |
Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW)
Models: BMW F650CS Motorcycle Year: 2003
Number Involved: 522
Dates of Manufacture: January - April 2002
Defect: On certain motorcycles, the screws that attach the rear brake caliper to the rear swing arm were not tightened correctly during assembly. The screws could loosen during vehicle operation and eventually fall-out, allowing the rear caliper to separate from its mount. If the caliper becomes trapped between the rear wheel and the swing arm, it could disconnect from the brake line, resulting in a loss of rear braking capability and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will check the torque of the rear brake caliper attachment screws and retighten them to the proper value, if necessary. The manufacturer reported that owner notification was expected to begin during late July 2002. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact BMW at 1-800-831-1117.
Daewoo Motor Company
Models: Daewoo Lanos Years: 1998-2002
Number Involved: 56,912
Dates of Manufacture: October 1997 - September 2001
Noncompliance: Certain passenger vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 201, "Occupant Protection in Interior Impact." In the event of a crash in which the air bags do not deploy, there is a possibility of increased head injury to the front seat passenger from contact with the passenger side air bag cover.
Remedy: Dealers will install new energy absorbing air bag mounting brackets. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began May 20, 2002. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Daewoo at 1-877-362-1234, selection 1.
Hyundai Motor America
Models: Hyundai Sonata Year: 2002
Number Involved: 43,162
Dates of Manufacture: June 2001 - February 2002
Defect: On certain passenger vehicles, the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) side impact air bag satellite sensors may be too sensitive to some lateral accelerations that are not caused by side impacts to the vehicle, such as forcefully slamming a door closed. Inadvertent deployment of a SRS side impact air bag when a side impact crash has not occurred could increase the risk of injury to the seat occupant.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the vehicle's side impact air bag satellite sensors. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification was expected to begin during late July 2002. Owners who do not receive the free label and inserts within a reasonable time should contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Indian Motorcycle Company
Models: Indian Chief Years: 1999-2000
Number Involved: 4,590
Dates of Manufacture: June 1999 - October 2000
Defect: On certain motorcycles equipped with rear shock absorbers made by Sway-A-Way, the bolts that mount the rear shock absorbers to the swing arm could break, potentially resulting in the collapse of the rear suspension.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear shock absorbers and replace them if necessary. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began May 8, 2002. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Indian at 1-408-846-7228.
Indian Motorcycle Company
Models: Indian Chief Years: 1999-2000
Number Involved: 4,590
Dates of Manufacture: June 1999 - October 2000
Defect: On certain motorcycles, the handle bar riser top clamp could allow excessive movement of the handlebars, increasing the risk of loss of control of the motorcycle.
Remedy: Dealers will fit the motorcycles with a new riser top clamp. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began May 31, 2002. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Indian at 1-408-846-7228.
Kawasaki Motors Corporation
Models: Kawasaki VN1500-P1 Year: 2002
Number Involved: 4,450
Dates of Manufacture: April 2001 - January 2002
Defect: On certain "Mean Streak" motorcycles, the main electrical wiring harness can rub against a tab on the underside of the fuel tank, resulting in the failure of electrical functions such as turn signals, lights, or others.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the vehicles and reposition the tab on the fuel tank. Any damage that may have occurred to the harness will be corrected. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began May 13, 2002. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Kawasaki at 1-949-770-0400.
Mitsubishi America
Models: Mitsubishi Galant Year: 2002
Number Involved: 3,378
Dates of Manufacture: May 2002
Defect: On certain passenger vehicles, the routing of the vehicle's front wiring harness can allow it to come in contact with a rough edge, allowing abrasion. This could result in grounded circuits and a loss of stop or turn signal lamp operation or engine hesitation.
Remedy: Dealers will install a protector eliminating any harness contact. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began July 8, 2002. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Mitsubishi at 1-800-222-0037.
Nissan North America, Inc.
Models: Nissan D21 Truck Year: 1994
Number Involved: 15,000
Dates of Manufacture: November 1993 - May 1994
Defect: On some trucks, the seat belt buckle latch plate was not manufactured according to design dimensions. If the seat belt tongue is inserted slowly at an angle into the buckle, there is a possibility of partial engagement. This condition can cause the seat belt tongue to come out of the buckle in the event of a collision or hard braking of the vehicle, increasing the risk of personal injury to an occupant of the seat.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the buckle and, if necessary, replace the buckle assembly with a new buckle. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began May 28, 2002. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Nissan North America, Inc.
| Models: | Nissan Maxima | Years: 2001-2002 |
| Infiniti I30 | Years: 2001-2002 | |
| Infiniti I35 | Years: 2001-2002 |
Polaris Industries, Inc./Victory Motorcycle Division
| Models: | Victory V92C | Year: 2002 |
| Victory V92C Standard | Year: 2002 | |
| Victory V92C Deluxe Cruiser | Year: 2002 | |
| Victory V92TC | Year: 2002 | |
| Victory V92TC Touring | Year: 2002 | |
| Victory V92TC Deluxe Touring | Year: 2002 |
Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Models: VW Eurovan Year: 2001
Number Involved: 2,300
Dates of Manufacture: August 2000 - July 2001
Defect: On certain minivans equipped with child restraint anchorages (tether anchorages) for use in conjunction with child restraints installed in the three rearmost seating positions, the "Safety First" portion of the Owner's Manual delivered with these vehicles incorrectly instructs owners to guide the tether strap underneath the seat's head restraint and to raise the head restraint slightly, if necessary. If the owner follows these instructions, the head restraint could accidentally separate from the seat in the event of a crash and cause injury to any child occupant seated in the tethered child seat.
Remedy: Owners will be sent a new "Safety First" booklet that will contain corrected use instructions. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began May 24, 2002. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact VWoA at 1-800-822-8987.
MEDIUM/HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS, SCHOOL BUSES AND MOTOR HOMES
Mid Bus Incorporated
Models: Mid Bus School Bus Year: 2002
Number Involved: 20
Dates of Manufacture: April 2002
Noncompliance: Certain school buses equipped with regulation school bus seats (39-inch and 45-inch) fail to meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 222, "School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection." The seat may have tubing with thinner than specified wall thickness.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the seats and if the seats have the thin tubing, a reinforcement patch will be put on the back of the frame. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began May 22, 2002. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Mid Bus at 1-877-358-6055.
New Flyer of America, Inc.
| Models: | New Flyer D40LF | Years: 1996-2002 |
| New Flyer C40LF | Years: 1996-2002 | |
| New Flyer D35LF | Years: 1996-2002 | |
| New Flyer C35LF | Years: 1996-2002 |
Peerless
Models: Peerless Trailer Years: 1998-2000
Number Involved: 870
Defect: On certain trailers, cracks can develop in the channel supports of the king pin assembly. If cracks form and are not detected, they can grow larger and eventually lead to fracture of the channel supports.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the channel style king pin assembly with an I-beam style king pin assembly. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began June 4, 2002. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Peerless at 1-870-236-7753.
EQUIPMENT:
Dorel Juvenile Group
| Models: | Dorel Designer 22 |
| Dorel Safety 1st |
Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
Models: Milwaukee Battery Charger
Number Involved: 18,011
Defect: Certain automotive battery chargers, Catalog No. 48-59-0184 (all serial numbers), can overheat, resulting in a fire. This could then cause personal injury or property damage. This charger was also packaged with the Automotive 18 volt Impact Wrench Kit, Catalog Number 9079-23 (serial numbers 241A40152001 thru 241A402080126).
Remedy: Customers should stop using this product immediately. Milwaukee will send owners a new charger free of charge. Owner notification began April 1, 2002. Owners who do not receive the free replacement charger within a reasonable time should contact Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation at 800-414-6527.
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