NHTSA Publishes List of October 2001 Recalls |
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National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
January 10, 2002
NHTSA 2-02
Thursday, January 10, 2002
Contact: Tim Hurd
Telephone: (202) 366-9550
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today released a list of auto safety recalls announced in October 2001 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 http://www.nhtsa.gov/index.html. The Hotline also can be used to report safety problems.
SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGNS
October 2001
VEHICLES:
CARS, VANS, LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS AND MOTORCYCLES
| AM General Corporation | |
| Models: AM General Hummer | Years: 1998-2000 |
| Number Involved: 2,839 | |
| American Honda Motor Company | |
| Models: Honda Civic | Years: 2001-2002 |
| Number Involved: 295 | |
| Dates of Manufacture: August - October 2001 Defect: On certain passenger vehicles, during the assembly process, the air cleaner box cover may have been damaged, and a broken plastic piece could travel into the intake chamber. If the plastic piece lodges in the throttle body, the throttle could stick in a partially open position. Although the driver can always stop the car by applying additional brake force, or by taking other actions (i.e., shift into neutral, turn off the ignition key, etc.), if the car continues to maintain speed when the driver is expecting it to slow, a crash could occur. Remedy: Dealers will inspect the air cleaner box for damage. If damage is found, the dealer will locate and remove the broken plastic piece, and replace the air cleaner box lid. The manufacturer reported that owner notification began Oct. 25, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009. [NHTSA Recall No. 01V329] | |
| DaimlerChrysler Corporation | ||
| Models: | Dodge Caravan/Grand Caravan | Year: 2002 |
| Chrysler Voyager | Year: 2002 | |
| Chrysler Town & Country | Year: 2002 | |
| Number Involved: 52,649 | ||
| Dates of Manufacture: February - September 2001 | ||
| Noncompliance: Certain passenger and sport utility vehicles fail to comply with requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems." The owner manuals supplied with these vehicles do not indicate which seating positions are equipped with tether anchorages and child restraint anchorage systems as required by the standard. Remedy: Owners will be provided with the necessary child restraint system information. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began Oct. 8, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact DaimlerChrysler at 1-800-853-1403. [NHTSA Recall No. 01V310/DaimlerChrysler Recall No. 996] | ||
| DaimlerChrysler Corporation | |
| Models: Jeep Liberty | Year: 2002 |
| Number Involved: 72,000 | |
| Dates of Manufacture: January - September 2001 | |
| Defect: On certain sport utility vehicles, the driver's side knee blocker trim panel assembly can disengage, fall, and startle the operator, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy: Dealers will replace the knee blocker trim panel. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began Nov. 26, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact DaimlerChrysler at 1-800-853-1403. [NHTSA Recall No. 01V311/DaimlerChrysler Recall No. 997] | |
| DaimlerChrysler Corporation | |
| Models: Dodge Viper | Year: 1996-1999 |
| Number Involved: 4,645 | |
| Dates of Manufacture: June 1995 - March 1999 | |
| Defect: Certain passenger vehicles used extensively in track types of racing events and subjected to aggressive driving conditions could experience cracks at the welds of the rear differential mounting bracket. The cracks could eventually lead to metal fatigue and dislodging of the differential mounting bracket from the frame of the vehicle. Separation of the differential mounting bracket could result in loss of vehicle control. Remedy: All affected vehicles will have a field repair kit installed. Vehicles exhibiting cracks will require an additional weld repair prior to installation of the kit. The manufacturer has not yet provided an owner notification schedule for this campaign. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact DaimlerChrysler at 1-800-853-1403. [NHTSA Recall No. 01V312/DaimlerChrysler Recall No. 998] | |
| DaimlerChrysler Corporation | |
| Models: Dodge Viper | Year: 1996-2000 |
| Number Involved: 7,050 | |
| Dates of Manufacture: June - October 2000 | |
| Defect: Certain passenger vehicles used extensively in track types of racing events and subjected to aggressive driving conditions can experience cracking of the steering rack mounting brackets. The cracks could eventually lead to separation of the steering rack from the frame of the vehicle. Separation of the steering rack could result in unexpected steering looseness and lag. Remedy: All affected vehicles will have a field repair kit installed, consisting of lower frame rail reinforcement gussets and a reinforcement bracket. The manufacturer has not yet provided an owner notification schedule for this campaign. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact DaimlerChrysler at 1-800-853-1403. [NHTSA Recall No. 01V313/DaimlerChrysler Recall No. 999] | |
| Ford Motor Company | ||
| Models: | Ford Mustang | Years: 1994-1997 |
| Lincoln Town Car | Years: 1995-1997 | |
| Number Involved: 911 | ||
| Defect: On certain of these passenger vehicles which had their driver's air bag modules replaced after April 5, 2000, the replacement driver's air bag inflators might have insufficient welds that could prevent proper inflation of the air bag. In the event of a crash, the driver's air bag may not properly deploy. This could result in less than the intended level of occupant protection. Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the driver's air bag module. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began Oct. 5, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. [NHTSA Recall No. 01V318/Ford Recall No. 01S28] | ||
| General Motors Corporation | ||
| Models: | Chevrolet Trailblazer | Year: 2002 |
| GMC Envoy | Year: 2002 | |
| Number Involved: 78,004 | ||
| Dates of Manufacture: January - August 2001 | ||
| Defect: On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with 4-wheel drive, the calibration of the transfer case control module could cause insufficient high-speed gear engagement. If the gear is not engaged, the vehicle can roll when the transmission is in "park," and a crash could result without warning. Remedy: Dealers will update the transfer case control module calibration to increase gear engagement. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began Nov. 6, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC at 1-800-462-8782. [NHTSA Recall No. 01V334/GM Recall No. 01064/01065] | ||
| Kawasaki Motors Corporation | ||
| Models: | Kawasaki ZX1200-A1 | Year: 2001 |
| Kawasaki ZX1200-A2 | Year: 2001 | |
| Number Involved: 6,305 | ||
| Defect: On certain motorcycles, the nuts securing the tire valve stems to the wheels can fail, resulting in a loss of tire air pressure. If this occurs, air pressure will be lost from the wheel/tire, possibly resulting in the loss of control. Remedy: Dealers will replace the valve nut and washer. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began on Oct. 25, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Kawasaki at 1-949-770-0400. [NHTSA Recall No. 01V323] | ||
| Volkswagen of America, Inc. | |
| Models: Audi TT QuattroV8 | Years: 2000-2001 |
| Number Involved: 3,700 | |
| Dates of Manufacture: September 1998 - March 2000 | |
| Defect: On certain passenger vehicles, moisture could enter the mounting bushing and bolt combination of the rear track control arm and cause corrosion. Corrosion could impede the free movement of the control arm. Remedy: Dealers will replace the track control arms. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began Dec. 14, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Audi at 1-800-822-2834. [NHTSA Recall No. 01V325/Audi Recall No. LL] | |
| Blue Bird Body Company | ||
| Models: | Blue Bird Q-Bus | Years: 2001-2002 |
| Blue Bird Commercial | Years: 2001-2002 | |
| Blue Bird TC2000 | Years: 2001-2002 | |
| Blue Bird All American | Years: 2001-2002 | |
| Number Involved: 1,500 | ||
| Dates of Manufacture: Feb. 14 - Oct. 4, 2001 | ||
| Defect: On certain school and transit buses and 2001-2002 commercial series and Q-Bus transit buses, insufficient tightening of the Arvin-Meritor air brake chamber mounting nuts can allow the nuts to loosen over time. Remedy: Dealers will inspect the torque values on each brake chamber nut and tighten to specifications. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began Nov. 16, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Blue Bird at 1-912-822-2242. [NHTSA Recall No. 01V320/Blue Bird Recall No. R01FK] | ||
| Blue Bird Body Company | |
| Models: Blue Bird Conventional | Years: 2000-2001 |
| Number Involved: 158 | |
| Defect: On certain school buses equipped with option 2836-02 driver's seat belts, the seat belts are too long, preventing the belt from retracting properly and fitting the occupant as designed. In the event of a crash, the driver may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of injury. Remedy: The belts will be replaced with belts of proper shoulder harness length. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began Nov. 15, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Blue Bird at 1-912-822-2242. [NHTSA Recall No. 01V337/Blue Bird Recall No. R01FN] | |
| International Truck and Engine Corporation | ||
| Models: | International 4300 | Year: 2001 |
| International 4400 | Year: 2001 | |
| Number Involved: 13,942 | ||
| Dates of Manufacture: October 2000 - September 2001 | ||
| Defect: Certain heavy duty trucks could experience a loss of the low beam headlights, the high beam headlights, or both. A software problem within the Electrical System Controller (ESC) can cause the circuit for the low beam or the circuit for the high beam headlights to fuse or open, resulting in loss of either the low or high beam headlights or possibly even both. A headlight fusing condition could occur without warning to the driver and potentially leave the driver in a blackout situation while operating the vehicle in the dark. Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the ESC. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began Oct. 12, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact International at 1-800-448-7825. [NHTSA Recall No. 01V315/International Recall No. 01514] | ||
| Workhorse Custom Chassis | ||
| Models: | Workhorse W20 | Year: 2001 |
| Workhorse W22 | Year: 2001 | |
| Workhorse P320032 | Year: 2001 | |
| Workhorse P320042 | Year: 2001 | |
| Number Involved: 5,011 | ||
| Dates of Manufacture: April - July 2001 | ||
| Defect: On certain motor home chassis, the rear axle U-bolts may not be tightened correctly due to a random production tooling failure. Low U-bolt torque can result in U-bolts coming loose and not properly retaining the rear axle to the vehicle, resulting in a loss of vehicle control. Remedy: Dealers will tighten the rear axle U-bolts. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began Oct. 10, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Workhorse at 1-877-946-7731. [NHTSA Recall No. 01V317/Workhorse Recall No. 30101-C] | ||
| Ferrari North America |
| Models: Oil Filter 111782 |
| Number Involved: 2,790 |
| Dates of Manufacture: May 2000 - May 2001 |
| Defect: Some replacement oil filters (Ferrari Part No. 111782) were made in a different manner from the original version. As a result, the oil filter may leak engine oil from the seal ring area. In the presence of an ignition source, the engine oil could be ignited, causing a vehicle fire, possibly resulting in personal injury or death. These oil filters can be used on Ferrari model vehicles dating back to the 1960s. The model vehicles these filters can be used on are: Dino 206 GT, Dino 246 GT/GTS, Dino 308 GT4, 208 GTB/GTS turbo, 208 GT4, 208 GTB/GTS turbo intercooler, GTB/GTS turbo, 275 GTB4, 308 GT4, 308 GTB/GTS, 308i GTB/GTS, 328 GTB/GTS, 330 GT, 330 GTC, 365 GT, 365 GT4, 365 GT4BB, 365 GTC (1970), 365 GTC/GTS, 365 GTC4, 365 GTS4, 400I GT/GTA, 4000 GT/GTA, 412 GT/GTA, 512BB, 512i BB, Mondial 3.2, Mondial 3.2 Cabriolet, Mondial 8, Mondial 9 Cabriolet, Mondial 4V, 288 GTO. Remedy: Dealers will replace the oil filters with a new style of oil filter having a Ferrari part number of 191993, free of charge. The manufacturer has reported that notification began Oct. 12, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Ferrari at 1-201-816-2600. [NHTSA Recall No. 01E051] |
| Purolator Products, Inc. | |
| Models: | Purolator Fuel Filter |
| Purolator Pro-Fuel Fuel Filter | |
| NAPA Fuel Filter | |
| Number Involved: 45,314 | |
| Dates of Manufacture: June - September 2001 | |
| Defect: The polymer used for the housing in the suspect fuel filters may not be compatible with xylene, toulene, MEK, ethanol and other chemicals sometimes found in fuel systems. Prolonged exposure to such chemicals can result in degradation of the polymer that, in turn, weakens the filter housing. The filter housing may leak, possibly resulting in a vehicle fire. The fuel filters were shipped by ArvinMeritor and are identified by Purolator Part Numbers 804, 805, and 806, and NAPA Part Nos., 624804, 624805, and 624806 with an eight-character date code that begins with any of the following combinations: SO6M14, SO6M15, SO6M18, SO6M19, SO6M20, SO6M21, SO6M22, SO6M25, SO6M26, SO6M27, SO6M28, SO6M29, SO6M30, SO7M02, SO7M03, SO7M05, SO7M06, SO7M07, SO7M09, SO7M10, SO7M11, SO7M12, SO7M13, SO7M16, SO7M17, SO7M18, SO7M19, SO7M20, SO7M21, SO7M23, SO7M24, SO7M25, SO7M26, SO7M27, SO7M30, SO7M31, SO8M01, SO8M02, SO8M06, SO8M07, SO8M08, SO8M09, SO8M10, SO8M13, SO8M14, SO8M15, SO8M16, SO8M17, SO8M20, SO8M21, SO8M22, SO8M23, SO8M27, SO8M28, SO8M29, SO8M30, SO9M04, SO9M05, SO9M06, SO9M07, SO9M08, SO9M09, SO9M10, SO9M11, SO9M12, SO9M13, SO9M17, SO9M18, SO9M19. Remedy: ArvinMeritor will notify its customers to return the filters for a replacement filter. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began Nov. 7, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free replacement filter within a reasonable time should contact ArvinMeritor LVA Customer Service at 1-800-637-0580. [NHTSA Recall No. 01E056] | |
| Safeline Kids, Inc. |
| Models: Safeline Sit'N'Stroll Model 3240 |
| Number Involved: 21,759 |
| Dates of Manufacture: November 1996 - June 1999 |
| Noncompliance: Certain rear-facing and forward-facing convertible car seats fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213, "Child Restraint Systems." The Sit'n'Stroll was recommended for use in the rear-facing seating configuration by children not weighing more than 25 pounds. However, the child seats were not certified as meeting the 25-pound weight requirement of this standard. Remedy: Safeline Kids will send new labels to registered owners to be placed over the existing labels. The new labels will recommend these seats for use in the rear-facing configuration by children weighing not more than 22 pounds. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began Oct. 18, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Safeline at 1-800-829-1625. [NHTSA Recall No. 01E052] |
| Safeline Kids, Inc. |
| Models: Safeline Sit'N'Stroll Model 3240 |
| Number Involved: 900 |
| Dates of Manufacture: June - August 1997 |
| Noncompliance: Certain rear-facing and forward-facing convertible car seats fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213, "Child Restraint Systems." The air bag warning label was omitted from the seat cover. The air bag label warns consumers not to place a child restraint in the rear-facing position in any vehicle seat with an air bag, since severe injury or death could occur. Remedy: Safeline Kids will send new seat covers that have the required air bag warning label to owners, free of charge. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began Oct. 18, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Safeline at 1-800-829-1625. [NHTSA Recall No. 01E053] |
| Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. | |
| Models: | Firestone Wilderness AT P235/75R15 |
| Firestone Wilderness AT P255/70R16 | |
| Number Involved: 2,800,000 | |
| Dates of Manufacture: July 1994 - April 1998 | |
| Defect: These tires pose an increased risk of tread separation. If the tread separates from the tire, the driver can lose control of the vehicle, possibly resulting in a crash causing injury or death. Remedy: Customers should check the DOT serial number at once. The serial number is located on either the inside or outside of the tire in the lower sidewall area directly above the rim flange and is preceded by the letters "DOT." If the last digit of the DOT serial number is "4," "5," "6," "7," or the last three digits of the DOT serial number are 018 through 188, these tires will be replaced free of charge. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began Nov. 7, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Firestone at 1-800-465-1904 or 1-888-276-2120 in Puerto Rico. [NHTSA Recall No. 01T016] | |