NHTSA Publishes List of December, January Recalls |
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National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
March 12, 2003
NHTSA 6-03
Wednesday, March 12, 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 December and January 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 going to http://www.nhtsa.gov/ on the Internet. The Hotline also can be used to report safety problems.
SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGNS
December 2002 and January 2003
VEHICLES:
CARS, VANS, LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS AND MOTORCYCLESAmerican Honda Motor Company
Models: Honda Odyssey Year: 2003
Number Potentially Involved: 3,617
Defect: Some fuel tanks have surface imperfections that could allow fuel to leak from the tank. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the fuel tank for surface imperfections. If any imperfections are found, the fuel tank will be replaced. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification was expected to begin during February 2003. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.[NHTSA Recall No. 03V014]
BMW of North America, LLC
Models: BMW X5 Year: 2000-2002
Number Potentially Involved: 84,000
Dates of Manufacture: August 1999 - April 2002
Defect: On certain sport utility vehicles, it may be possible for the front brake line to slip out of the retaining bracket located at the front strut. The brake hose that is attached to the brake line could come in contact with the tire and be subjected to wear and abrasion. This could initially cause some brake fluid leakage and eventually lead to a substantial loss of brake fluid. There could be a noticeable reduction in brake performance if a loss of front brake performance occurs.
Remedy: Dealers will install an additional retaining clip to further secure the brake line to the front strut. Additionally, if inspection of any brake hose indicates that it has experienced damage, the hose will be replaced. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification was expected to begin during February 2003. Owners may contact BMW at 1-800-831-1117.[NHTSA Recall No. 03V001]
General Motors Corporation
Models: Chevrolet Avalanche Year: 2003
Chevrolet Suburban Year: 2003
GMC Yukon XL Year: 2003
Number Potentially Involved: 5,734
Dates of Manufacture: April 2002 - January 2003
Defect: On certain sport utility vehicles, during a 30 degree left angle frontal impact of sufficient severity, a tear could develop in the mid-frame cross member at its attachment to the left frame rail. If the mid-frame cross member tears during frontal impact and produces a sharp edge, contact of the sharp edge with the fuel tank could result in a puncture of the fuel tank and possible fuel leakage. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will install a fuel tank shield. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification is expected to begin during February 2003. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC at 1-800-462-8782.[NHTSA Recall No. 03V019/GM Recall No. 03002]
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Models: Harley Davidson Dyna Wide Glide Year: 2002
Number Potentially Involved: 1,762
Dates of Manufacture: March - June 2001
Defect: On certain motorcycles, the rear brake line assemblies could fracture internally. This condition could allow the line to leak brake fluid, which could cause loss of the rear brake function, possibly without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rear brake line. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification was expected to begin during February 2003. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson at 1-414-342-4680.[NHTSA Recall No. 03V005/Harley Davidson Recall No. 0107]
Hyundai Motor America
Models: Hyundai Santa Fe Year: 2001-2002
Number Involved: 25,643
Dates of Manufacture: March 2000 - August 2001
Defect: On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with 2.7 liter V-6 engines, improperly manufactured Crankshaft Position Sensors (CPS) were installed. The CPS cases were improperly manufactured and did not meet dimensional specifications. Internal gaps within the cases allowed epoxy to contact the printed circuit board, which resulted in cracking of the circuit board capacitor. A damaged CPS capacitor could result in engine stalling.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the CPS. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification was expected to begin during February 2003. (This recall is an expansion of a previous recall, 01V388). Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.[NHTSA Recall No. 03V030/Hyundai Recall No. 049]
Jaguar Cars
Models: Jaguar X-Type Year: 2002-2003
Number Potentially Involved: 49,174
Dates of Manufacture: February 2001 - October 2002
Defect: On certain sedans, under some circumstances, the power circuit that feeds the direction indicator system could fail. This could result in the driver being unaware that the external turning indicators are not operating because the internal "tell-tail" light on the driver's instrument panel continues to work normally. The loss of rear turn signals could fail to warn a following driver that the vehicle is turning and could result in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the General Electric Module. Jaguar has not yet provided an owner notification schedule. Owners may contact Jaguar at 1-201-818-8500.[NHTSA Recall No. 03V011/Jaguar Recall No. R935]
Kia Motors America, Inc.
Models: Kia Sedona Year: 2002
Number Potentially Involved: 9,787
Dates of Manufacture: May - November 2001
Noncompliance: Certain minivans fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies." The second and third seat belt buckle anchor bolts do not comply with the standards. In the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant may not be properly restrained.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat belt buckle anchor bolts. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification is expected to begin during March 2003. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542.[NHTSA Recall No. 03V017]
Mitsubishi America
Models: Mitsubishi Outlander Year: 2003
Number Potentially Involved: 65,000
Dates of Manufacture: August 2002 - January 2003
Defect: On certain sport utility vehicles, during extremely low temperatures, ice can build up inside the engine throttle valve. This ice build-up could cause the accelerator pedal to stick or not to return to idle after accelerating. Failure to return to idle could result in a vehicle crash without warning.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the engine control computer to eliminate this condition. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification was expected to begin during February 2003. Owners may contact Mitsubishi at 1-800-222-0037.[NHTSA Recall No. 03V028]
Saab Cars USA, Inc.
Models: Saab 9-5 Year: 1999-2003
Number Potentially Involved: 70,726
Dates of Manufacture: November 1997 - October 2002
Defect: On certain passenger vehicles, if owners change their wheels/tires between summer and winter using a steel wheel in the winter and an alloy wheel in the summer, it is possible for rust and contamination to build up on the wheel hub during the steel wheel usage. If this occurs and the contamination is not removed, it is possible that after the tire change service, some of this contamination could flake or grind away resulting in reduced clamping force of the wheel to the hub. Over several seasons, it is possible that this reduced force could result in fractures developing in the wheel bolts due to wheel to hub movement. These fractures would result in wheel bolt breakage, allowing the wheel to detach from the wheel hub, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Owners will be contacted by mail and asked whether they change between steel and alloy wheels. If they do engage in this practice, they will be instructed to bring their cars to an authorized dealer. The dealer will remove the wheels, clean any contamination from the wheel and wheel hub, and replace the wheels using new improved bolts with attached washers
The manufacturer has reported that owner notification is expected to begin during March 2003. Owners may contact Saab at 1-800-955-9007.[NHTSA Recall No. 03V006/Saab Recall No. 15013]
EQUIPMENT:
Bell Automotive
Models: Bell Safety Hammers
Number Potentially Involved: 17,398
Defect: Certain safety hammers identified as "Life-Saving Escape and Rescue Tool," were intended to be used as an instrument to shatter automotive safety glass in the event of an emergency. However, the plastic handle was not designed to withstand the force required to shatter glass. As a result, the plastic ribs, which hold the safety hammer's metal head, can break upon use, rendering the hammer no longer able to perform as intended.
Remedy: Bell will reimburse customers who have purchased the safety hammer. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification was expected to begin during February 2003. Owners may contact Bell Automotive at 1-480-991-5055.[NHTSA Recall No. 03E004]
OTD, Inc.
Models: Fuel Pumps
Number Potentially Involved: 979
Dates of Manufacture: July 15-27, 2002
Defect: Certain NAPA and Carter fuel pumps, Models P74697M and P74708M, used as replacement parts for 1995 and 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee sport utility vehicles, may have an improperly installed check valve. The pressure in the fuel system can exceed the limits of the fuel system components, possibly creating a fuel leak and risk of fire.
Remedy: This recall pertains only to aftermarket NAPA and Carter fuel pumps and has no relation to any original equipment installed on Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured by DaimlerChrysler Corporation. Owners should contact OTD at 1-973-772-2929.[NHTSA Recall No. 03E001]
Sound Off, Inc.
Models: Warning Lamps
Number Potentially Involved: 1,508
Dates of Manufacture: July - December 2002
Defect: On certain school bus warning lamps, Models AT56IEBOAREV001, E756IEBOAREV001, INT756IEBOA, TH756IEBOA, TH756IEBOA-1, AT756IEBORREV001, E756IEBOR, E758IEBORREV001, INT756EBOR, TH756IEBOR, and TH756IEBOR-1, a static electricity discharge can occur during normal services or handling. This discharge can potentially initiate a chemical reaction of materials within the lamp that could cause the lens to fracture. If the lens fractures, injuries to persons directly in front of it could result.
Remedy: Sound Off will make arrangements to go out to the operating facilities and replace the warning lamps. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification was expected to begin during February 2003. Owners may contact Sound Off at 1-800-338-7337.[NHTSA Recall No. 03E002]
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