NHTSA Publishes List of June 2003 Recalls |
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National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
August 4, 2003
NHTSA 35-03
Monday, August 4, 2003
Contact: Tim Hurd
Telephone: (202) 366-9550
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today released a list of auto safety recalls announced in June 2003 and urged consumers to have the problems fixed promptly.
This 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 www.nhtsa.gov. The Hotline also can be used to report safety problems.
June 2003
American Suzuki Motor Corporation
Models: Suzuki Esteem Year: 2002
Suzuki Grand Vitara Years: 2002-2003
Suzuki Grand Vitara XL-7 Years: 2002-2003
Number Potentially Involved: 5,319
Dates of Manufacture: December 2001 - February 2003
Noncompliance: Certain vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 212, "Windshield Mounting." The windshield may not be properly secured to the vehicle body due to insufficient adhesion between the paint applied during the second-stage painting process and the paint applied during final-stage painting. If the windshield is not properly secured, it may separate from the vehicle during a crash, which could result in the ejection of unbelted occupants, increasing the risk of severe injury or death.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect these vehicles. Vehicles that are found to have insufficient paint adhesion will either have the problem remedied by repainting, or will be replaced, or repurchased and destroyed. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification is expected to begin during July 2003. Owners may contact Suzuki at 1-800-934-0934.[NHTSA Recall No. 03V223/Suzuki Recall No. EC]
Big Dog Motorcycles
Models: Big Dog Chopper Year: 2003
Number Potentially Involved: 854
Defect: On certain motorcycles, the fuel tank mount may have been improperly welded. This can cause the tank to fail, with the possibility of fuel spillage. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will remove the fuel tank and ship it to Big Dog for repair. Big Dog will re-weld the mount, repair the paint, and return it to the dealer for re-installation. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification is expected to begin on July 31, 2003. Owners may contact Big Dog at 1-316-219-6584.[NHTSA Recall No. 03V230]
DaimlerChrysler Corporation
Models: Dodge 2500 Year: 2003
Dodge 3500 Year: 2003
Number Potentially Involved: 1,086
Dates of Manufacture: March - April 2003
Defect: On certain heavy-duty pickup trucks, the aluminum wheels may have excessive porosity in the center hub area, which can cause a wheel to crack. This could cause a loss of vehicle control and result in a crash without warning.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the wheels and replace them if necessary. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began on June 17, 2003. Owners may contact DaimlerChrysler at 1-800-992-1997.[NHTSA Recall No. 03V212/DaimlerChrysler Recall No. C21]
General Motors Corporation
Models: Buick Rendezvous Years: 2002-2003
Number Potentially Involved: 94,866
Dates of Manufacture: December 2000 - September 2002
Defect: On certain sport utility vehicles, structural support for the rear liftgate latch may be inadequate to retain the latch in certain crashes. If the liftgate were to open in a vehicle crash, an occupant could be ejected from the vehicle, resulting in increased risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will add structural reinforcements to the liftgate in the area adjoining the latch assembly. The manufacturer has not yet provided an owner notification schedule for this campaign. Owners may contact Buick at 1-800-521-7300.[NHTSA Recall No. 03V211/GM Recall No. 03030]
General Motors Corporation
Models: Chevrolet Express Year: 2003
GMC Savana Year: 2003
Number Potentially Involved: 50,225
Dates of Manufacture: April 2002 - January 2003
Defect: Certain passenger vans have a condition in which water may enter and corrode the rear license plate lamp socket. If the lamp socket were to corrode, the rear license plate lamp may operate intermittently or not at all, and the left rear tail lamp may become inoperative. The temperature of the license plate lamp socket could increase to the point that it may begin to soften and melt. Eventually, the plastic could ignite and a fire could occur.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new sealed rear license plate lamp socket assembly. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification is expected to begin during July 2003. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-8000-222-1020 or GMC at 1-800-462-8782.[NHTSA Recall No. 03V217/GM Recall No. 03031]
General Motors Corporation
Models: Saturn L-Series Years: 2000-2003
Number Potentially Involved: 239,993
Dates of Manufacture: June 1999 - June 2003
Defect: On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.2L L4 (L61) engines, a failure of the ignition control module may cause deterioration in idle quality, reduction in overall engine power, and the vehicle may be hard to start. Continued operation of the vehicle after such an ignition module failure will result in the "Service Engine Soon" light flashing, and may lead to secondary failures of the catalytic converter, oxygen sensor, and exhaust resonator. Failure of the resonator will cause increased exhaust noise. Prolonged operation of the vehicle following a resonator failure may lead to a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will (1) replace the ignition control module, (2) replace the ignition control module and spark plugs, or (3) replace the ignition control module, spark plugs, and update the powertrain control module calibration. Until parts become available, owners are being sent a letter advising what should be done in the interim. When parts become available, owners will be advised to contact their dealers for appointments to have their vehicles repaired. Parts should be available during September 2003. Owners may contact Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, prompt #3.[NHTSA Recall No. 03V231/GM Recall No. 03033/Saturn Recall No. 03-C-06]
Isuzu Motors America, Inc.
Models: Isuzu Hombre Years: 1996-1997
Number Potentially Involved: 14,860
Dates of Manufacture: June 1996 - August 1997
Defect: On certain pickup trucks, the windshield wiper motor may fail due to cracked solder joints on the controller circuit board. The windshield wipers could work intermittently or not at all. If this were to occur during bad weather, driver visibility would be reduced, which could result in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the wiper motor circuit board and cover. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification is expected to begin during July 2003. Owners may contact Isuzu at 1-800-255-6727.[NHTSA Recall No. 03V210]
Mazda North American Operations
Models: Mazda MPV Years: 2002-2003
Mazda Miata Years: 2001-2003
Mazda Mazda6 Year: 2003
Number Potentially Involved: 64,000
Dates of Manufacture: July 2000 - May 2003
Defect: On certain minivans and passenger vehicles, the socket holder in the fog lights is installed in the lamp casing using pressure. During operation of the fog light, the heat from the bulb can expand the socket holder. The expansion can force the socket holder rearward. After repeatedly being subject to this expansion, if the fog light is also subjected to vibration during vehicle operation, the socket holder with the bulb holder and the wiring harness may separate from the fog light casing. Should this occur, the bulb socket and the harness can drop inside the bumper, and the heat generated by the bulb can cause the bumper to burn.
Remedy: Dealers will install a spring to prevent the socket holder from separating from the lamp case. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began July 7, 2003. Owners may contact Mazda at 1-800-222-5500.[NHTSA Recall No. 03V206/Mazda Recall No. 1103F]
Mazda North American Operations
Models: Mazda Mazda6 Years: 2002-2003
Number Potentially Involved: 45,600
Dates of Manufacture: October 2002 - May 2003
Noncompliance: Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 135, "Passenger Car Brake Systems." During production, the float in the fluid level sensor in the brake reservoir can be forced off of the guide rail during the filling of the master cylinder. Should this occur, it is possible that the float will not return to the guide rail, and the brake fluid level warning indicator may not function.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the fluid level sensor float, repair it when necessary, and also attach a caution label to the brake reservoir. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began July 7, 2003. Owners may contact Mazda at 1-800-222-5500.[NHTSA Recall No. 03V207/Mazda Recall No. 1203F]
Nissan Motor Corporation
Models: Infiniti G35 Year: 2003
Number Potentially Involved: 60,000
Dates of Manufacture: January 2002 - March 2003
Defect: On certain sedan and coupe vehicles, the brake stop lamp switch may malfunction. If this occurs, the brake lamps will not illuminate when the brake is applied, which could result in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake lamp switch. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began June 30, 2003. Owners may contact Infiniti at 1-800-662-6200.[NHTSA Campaign No. 03V200]
Polaris Industries, Inc.
Models: Victory Vegas Year: 2003
Number Potentially Involved: 1,192
Dates of Manufacture: June 2002 - May 2003
Defect: On certain motorcycles, the fuel tank vent line could be plugged causing potential expulsion of fuel when the fuel cap is opened. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will test the vent lines on the vehicles involved. Fuel tanks with plugged vent lines will be replaced. The manufacturer will conduct one recall campaign for vehicles calibrated for California and another for those calibrated for the other 49 states. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification is expected to begin during July 2003. Owners may contact Victory at 1-763-417-8650.[NHTSA Recall Numbers 03V228/03V229/Polaris Recall Number V-03-03/V-03-04]
Nissan Diesel America, Inc.
Models: Nissan Diesel UD1200 Years: 2002-2004
Nissan Diesel UD1400 Years: 2002-2004
Nissan Diesel UD1800CS Years: 2002-2004
Number Potentially Involved: 1,661
Dates of Manufacture: July 2001 - April 2003
Defect: On certain light duty trucks, the passenger side seat belt may have the incorrect seat belt anchor installed. In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace the passenger seat frame/anchor, if necessary. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification is expected to begin during August or September 2003. Owners may contact Nissan Diesel at 1-972-756-5500.[NHTSA Recall No. 03V224]
Nexl Sports Products
Models: Nexl Beanie
Number Potentially Involved: 46,518
Dates of Manufacture: October 2000 - June 2003
Noncompliance: Certain motorcycle helmets, Models -01, -02, NB021, NB031, and NB041, sizes XS/S, M/M+, L/XL/2XL, fail to comply with the impact attenuation, penetration, retention, and labeling requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 218, "Motorcycle Helmets." These helmets will not adequately protect the wearer in the event of a crash. Serious head injury or death could occur.
Remedy: Nexl will notify its customers and rework the helmet to bring it into full compliance with federal standards. The manufactured has reported that owner notification is expected to begin during July 2003. Owners should contact Nexl at 1-831-786-1800.[NHTSA Recall No. 03E037]
The following child safety restraint recall was first announced by Cosco, Inc., on April 27, 2000. NHTSA is bringing this previous recall to owners' attention. To date, only 4 percent of owners have contacted Cosco for a free repair kit. NHTSA also reminded owners that it is important to register infant and child safety seats and other child safety restraints. Information on registration cards enables manufacturers to contact owners about safety recalls.
Cosco, Inc.
Models: Cosco Touriva Convertible T-Shield, Model 02-084
Cosco Touriva Convertible T-Shield, Model 02-094
Cosco Touriva Convertible T-Shield, Model 02-096
Cosco Touriva Convertible T-Shield, Model 02-404
Cosco Touriva Convertible T-Shield, Model 02-821
Number Potentially Involved: 206,353
Dates of Manufacture: May 1996 - November 1997
Noncompliance: When NHTSA tested these seats for compliance with the applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard, the buckles on some seats would not release properly. In the event of a crash, an adult may not be able to easily release the belt buckle.
Remedy: A free repair kit, including replacement buckle and instructions, will be provided to all owners of these child seats. Owners should call Cosco at (800) 221-6736 to obtain the free remedy. For more information, owners can call this number or write to Cosco, Inc., P.O. Box 2609, Columbus, Ind., 47202-2609.[NHTSA Recall No. 00C007]
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