The Crittenden Automotive Library

NHTSA Publishes List of May 2003 Recalls

NHTSA Publishes List of May 2003 Recalls

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
June 27, 2003

NHTSA 29-03
Friday, June 27, 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 May 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 http://www.nhtsa.gov/. The Hotline also can be used to report safety problems.

SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGNS
May 2003

VEHICLES:

CARS, VANS, LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS AND MOTORCYCLES

Bayerische Motoren Werke
Models:    BMW X5                   Year:      2003
Number Potentially Involved:  357
Dates of Manufacture:   March - April 2003
Defect:  On certain sport utility vehicles, it is possible that the distance between the brake line and the steering shaft joint is not sufficient. If this occurs, the brake line could come into contact with the joint and eventually suffer damage and corrosion. A loss of brake fluid, indicated by a warning light in the instrument panel, could occur. This will be accompanied by a reduction in front brake performance, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy:   Dealers will inspect the distance between the brake line and the steering shaft joint and, if necessary, increase the distance. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification was expected to begin during early June 2003. Owners may contact BMW at 1-800-831-1117.

[NHTSA Recall No. 03V197]

Ferrari North America

Models:	Ferrari 550 Maranello	Year: 2001
	Ferrari 550 Barchetta	Year: 2001
	Ferrari 456M/GT/GTA	Years: 2001-2002

Number Potentially Involved:  232
Dates of Manufacture:   December 2000 - March 2002
Defect:  On certain passenger vehicles, the transmission oil lines to the oil cooler may not have been manufactured properly. The lines could become disconnected from the metal fitting and leak oil. If the lines leak oil, insufficient lubrication to the transmission could result. If this occurs, the vehicle's transmission could become inoperative. If the transmission became inoperative while the customer was driving, damage to the vehicle or property, and a crash without warning could occur.
Remedy:   Dealers will replace the two transmission cooler oil lines with new lines that have a properly crimped metal fitting connector. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification was expected to begin during early June 2003. Owners may contact Ferrari at 1-201-816-2651.

[NHTSA Recall No. 03V175/Ferrari Recall No. 38]

Ford Motor Company

Models:	Ford F150/F250	Year: 1997
	Ford Expedition	Year: 1997

Number Potentially Involved:  171,446
Dates of Manufacture:  March - September 1996
Defect:  On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, the intermediate shaft yoke can separate from the steering gear input shaft. This could result in loss of steering control, potentially resulting in a vehicle crash without warning.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the steering intermediate shaft yoke to determine if the yoke is fully seated on the steering gear input shaft. If the yoke is fully seated, no service is required. If the yoke is not fully seated and the bolt groove and spline are visible, the intermediate shaft and bolt will be replaced as well as the bolt at the steering column connection. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began June 2, 2003. Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.

[NHTSA Recall No. 03V196/Ford Recall No. 03S02]

Indian Motorcycle Company

Models:	Indian Chief	Years: 2002-2003
	Indian Chief Vintage	Years: Years:2002-2003

Number Potentially Involved:  1,979
Dates of Manufacture:  February 2002 - April 2003
Defect:   On certain motorcycles, due to the positioning of the gas tank vent tube, the vent tube can become clogged with debris, particularly in wet weather. This can cause interruption of fuel flow to the carburetor, causing the motorcycle to stall. A clogged vent tube may also cause pressure to build up in the gas tank and push a small amount of gas out of the fuel filler cap seal. Fuel leakage in the present of an ignition source can result in a fire.
Remedy:   Dealers will replace the current vent tube with a longer tube repositioned to prevent clogging. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification was expected to begin during early June 2003. Owners may contact Indian at 1-888-899-2997.

[NHTSA Recall No. 03V173]

Indian Motorcycle Company
Models:     Indian Chief                   Years:     1999-2003
Number Potentially Involved:   3,625
Dates of Manufacture:   July 2000 - March 2003
Defect:   On certain motorcycles, some windshields may have defective brackets. These windshields were included as standard equipment on these motorcycles and were sold as accessories for all other Chief models. The brackets that attach the windshield to the motorcycle are formed so that the mounting bolts are not flush with the bracket. This could place excessive stress on the bolts causing them to break. Broken mounting bolts could lead to the windshield coming loose and even falling off the bike, potentially striking the rider or otherwise causing the rider to lose control of the motorcycle and crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the brackets and bolts on the windshield. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification was expected to begin during early June 2003. Owners may contact Indian at 1-888-899-2997.

[NHTSA Recall No. 03V191]

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.
Models:     Mitsubishi Outlander                   Year:      2003
Number Potentially Involved:   43,649
Dates of Manufacture:  August 2002 - April 2003
Defect:   On certain sport utility vehicles, water could enter the front floorboard area from openings in the side sill or upper dash area. This water could collect under the seat and cause electrical corrosion to occur in the harness connectors that contain the wiring for the seatbelt pre-tensioner, side air bag impact sensor, and stop lamps. Electrical corrosion of the harness could cause the seat belt pre-tensioner to malfunction, the side air bag not to deploy and/or the brake lamps not to illuminate or to falsely illuminate.
Remedy:   Dealers will inspect the side sills and dash panel for openings that may allow water leakage into the vehicle cabin. In addition to sealing any openings that may be found, the wiring connectors will be inspected for signs of electrical corrosion. The floor harness will be replaced if it has any signs of water damage or electrical corrosion. The manufacturer has not yet provided an owner notification schedule for this campaign. Owners may contact Mitsubishi at 1-800-222-0037.

[NHTSA Recall No. 03V194]

Nissan Motor Corporation

Models:	Infiniti FX35	Year: 2003
	Infiniti FX45	Year: 2003

Number Potentially Involved:  164
Dates of Manufacture:  November 2002 - March 2003
Defect:  On certain sport utility vehicles, the bolts that attach the propeller (drive) shaft to the transaxle and differential may not have been adequately tightened. If the bolts come loose, the propeller shaft may separate from the vehicle increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy:   Dealers will replace the propeller shaft bolts and tighten the bolts to the proper specification. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification is expected to begin during June 2003. Owners may contact Infiniti at 1-800-662-6200.

[NHTSA Campaign No. 03V164]

Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
Models:     Toyota Tacoma                   Year:      2001-2003
Number Potentially Involved:   123,360
Dates of Manufacture:   September 2000 - February 2003
Defect:   On certain double cab pickup trucks, during side impact NCAP testing, a flange at the rear end of the double cab body deformed and contacted the fuel inlet hose that connects the fuel filler pipe and fuel tank, resulting in damage to the fuel inlet hose. This damage could result in fuel leakage, which could result in a fire in the presence of an ignition source.
Remedy:   Dealers will install a fuel hose protector on the body flange. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification is expected to begin during June 2003. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

[NHTSA Recall No. 03V146]

MEDIUM/HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS, SCHOOL BUSES AND MOTOR HOMES

EZ Loader Boat Trailers

Models:	EZ Custom Frames Blazer	Year: 2001
	EZ Custom Frames Sprint	Year: 2001
	EZ Custom Frames Triton	Year: 2001
	EZ TI Champion	Year: 2001

Number Potentially Involved: 5,565
Defect: On certain boat trailers equipped with a mono-leaf based suspension system, the mounting hardware could loosen allowing the spring to flex at the apex of its radius, and at a point where there is a mounting index hole. This flexing could lead to premature failure of the spring.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the mono-leaf spring based suspension system with a multi-leaf spring based suspension system. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification is expected to begin during August 2003. Owners may contact EZ Loader AT 1-509-489-0181.

[NHTSA Recall No. 03V176]

IC Corporation
Models:     AmTran FE            Year:      2000-2003
Number Potentially Involved:   13
Dates of Manufacture:   May 1999 - March 2003
Noncompliance:   Certain school buses fail to comply with the emergency exit requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 217, "Bus Emergency Exits and Window Retention and Release." During an emergency situation, this condition could prevent passengers from exiting the bus, which could cause personal injury or death.
Remedy:   Dealers will add one roof exit in the center of the passenger compartment. All owners have been notified and all repairs performed.

[NHTSA Recall No. 03V195/IC Recall No. 03302]

EQUIPMENT:

Cardone Industries, Inc.
Models:     Cardone Rear Brake Caliper
Number Potentially Involved:   15,899
Dates of Manufacture:   February 2002 - April 2003
Defect:   Certain remanufactured rear brake calipers, Part Numbers 18-7019, 18-7020, 16-7019, and 16-7020, used on 1965 through 1982 Chevrolet Corvettes, were manufactured using improperly manufactured piston seals. These seals are intended to prevent fluid leakage between the caliper housing and the pistons. Under these conditions, the vehicle operator may not be able to stop the car, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
Remedy:   Cardone will notify its customers that all unsold inventory will be repurchased and will provide a full refund to customers. This recall does not involve General Motors Corporation or any of its products. Owner notification is expected to begin during June 2003. Owners should contact Cardone at 1-215-912-3000.

[NHTSA Recall No. 03E032]