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Monday, November 17, 2003
Contact: Tim Hurd, (202) 366-9550
NHTSA 48-03
NHTSA Publishes List of August, September 2003 Recalls
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) today released a list of auto safety recalls announced in
August and September 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 at 1-888-327-4236 or by accessing NHTSA on the Internet at
www.nhtsa.dot.gov. The Hotline also can be used to report safety problems.
SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGNS
September 2003
VEHICLES:
CARS, VANS, LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS AND MOTORCYCLES
American Honda Motor Company, Inc.
Models: Honda GL1800 Years: 2002-2003
Honda GL1800A Years: 2002-2003
Number Potentially Involved: 8,196
Dates of Manufacture: March – September 2002
Defect: On some motorcycles, certain frame welds do not meet manufacturing
specifications. High loads created when riding on rough road surfaces or
through potholes can cause the affected welds to crack. The welded area could
break, resulting in rear suspension collapse or lower cross member separation,
increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and reinforce the welds on all frames. The
manufacturer has reported that owner notification is expected to begin during
October 2003. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.
[NHTSA Recall No. 03V350]
American Suzuki Motor Corporation
Models: Suzuki Verona Year: 2004
Number Potentially Involved: 4,548
Dates of Manufacture: June – August 2003
Defect: Some of these passenger vehicles may have a mislocated sensor in the
driver’s seat belt buckle assembly. This condition can prevent the driver’s
seat belt tongue from being inserted into the buckle. In the event of a crash,
a seat occupant may not be properly restrained increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver’s seat belt buckle assembly. The
manufacturer has reported that owner notification is expected to begin during
October 2003. Owners may contact Suzuki at 1-800-934-0934.
[NHTSA Recall No. 03V333/Suzuki Recall No. K4]
DaimlerChrysler Corporation
Models: Chrysler 300M
Year: 2004
Chrysler Concorde Year: 2004
Number Potentially Involved: 20,978
Dates of Manufacture: March – June 2003
Defect: On certain passenger vehicles, an internal hood latch component may
have been manufactured with a crack, which could propagate and break, allowing
the primary/secondary latch spring to disengage. This could result in loss of
both primary and secondary hood latch function, allowing the hood to open
without warning. This could increase the risk of a crash. Remedy: Dealers
will inspect and, if necessary, replace the latch assembly. The manufacturer
has reported that owner notification began on Sept. 22, 2003. Owners may
contact DaimlerChrysler at 1-800-992-1997. [NHTSA Recall No.
03V332/DaimlerChrysler Recall No. C29]
General Motors Corporation
Models: Chevrolet Astro Year: 2003
GMC Safari
Year: 2003
Number Potentially Involved: 41,477
Dates of Manufacture: March 2002 – June 2003
Defect: Some of these minivans have an interference condition between the lower
ball joint rubber boot and the steering knuckle (both left and right sides),
which could result in cutting of the boot that is intended to seal the ball
joint. If the lower ball joint boot were cut, contamination from the road
(salt, dirt, water, etc.) could enter the ball socket area of the ball joint
causing the joint to wear out too quickly. The steering knuckle could separate
from the lower control arm, dropping down the affected corner of the vehicle.
The coil spring would push the control arm down into contact with the ground,
creating a drag that would slow the vehicle. The driver could have difficulty
in maintaining the directional control of the vehicle. In addition, the
affected wheel assembly could separate from the vehicle if forces resulting from
the wheel’s dragging action were sufficient to fracture the tie rod end and
upper ball joint connections. Separation of the wheel assembly would also sever
that wheel’s hydraulic brake hose, resulting in lost braking performance from
the front brake system. Vehicle stopping distance would increase, which could
result in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the steering knuckles.
The manufacturer has reported that owner notification is expected to begin
during the first quarter of 2004. Owners may contact Chevrolet at
1-800-630-2438, or GMC at 1-866-996-9463.
[NHTSA Recall No.
03V328/GM Recall No. 03044]
General Motors Corporation
Models: Pontiac Grand Prix Year: 2003
Number Potentially Involved: 59,528
Dates of Manufacture: October 2002 – August 2003
Noncompliance: Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements
of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 135, “Passenger Car Braking
Systems.” On some of these vehicles, the right rear brake hose fitting may not
be tightened properly, and a brake fluid leak could occur. If enough fluid
leaks, the brake pedal will be lower than normal, stopping distances will be
longer and a crash could occur.
Remedy: Dealers will tighten the right rear brake hose fitting to the proper
torque specification, and add brake fluid if necessary. The manufacturer has
reported that owner notification began Sept. 4, 2003. Owners may contact
Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668. [NHTSA Recall No.
03V331/GM Recall No. 03045]|
General Motors Corporation
Models: Cadillac CTS Year: 2004
Cadillac SRX
Year: 2004
Number Potentially Involved: 6,771
Dates of Manufacture: June – August 2003
Noncompliance: Certain passenger and sport utility vehicles fail to comply with
the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 207, “Seating
Systems.” One or both front anchor tabs for the front bucket seats are not
engaged in the floor pan reinforcement slots. A seat with only one tab engaged
or neither engaged would not meet the static rearward loading test requirements
of the standard. In some crash conditions, the seat could pivot rearward and
its occupant or a rear seat occupant could be injured more severely.
Remedy: Dealers will ensure that both front anchor tabs are fully seated in the
floor pan reinforcement slots. The manufacturer has reported that owner
notification was expected to begin during October 2003. Owners may contact
Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339. [NHTSA Recall No. 03V346/GM
Recall No. 03050]
Kia Motors America, Inc.
Models: Kia Rio Year: 2001
Number Potentially Involved: 57,340
Dates of Manufacture: May 2000 – June 2001
Defect: On certain passenger vehicles, fuel leaks may develop at the fuel
distributor assembly because of quality deviations. Fuel leakage in the presence
of an ignition source could result in a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the fuel distributor and fuel
connector assemblies. The manufacturer has estimated that owner notification
will begin during the first quarter of 2004. Owners may contact Kia at
1-800-222-5500.
[NHTSA Recall No. 03V352]
Polaris Industries, Inc.
Models: Victory V92C Years: 1999-2001
Victory V92SC
Years: 2000-2001
Victory
V92DC Year: 2001
Number Potentially Involved: 9,120
Dates of Manufacture: July 1998 – July 2001
Defect: On certain motorcycles, the sidestand spring and/or the pin used to
attach the spring to the frame may be damaged, allowing unintended deployment of
the sidestand, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the sidestand spring and frame rail
bracket. The manufacturer has not yet provided an owner notification schedule
for this campaign. Owners may contact Polaris/Victory at 1-763-417-8650.
[NHTSA Recall No. 03V336/Polaris/Victory Recall No. V-03-05]
Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Models: VW New Beetle Year: 2004
Number Potentially Involved: 38
Dates of Manufacture: July – August 2003
Defect: On certain passenger vehicles, the passenger detection function of the
passive occupant detection system (PODS) may become disabled. Should the PODS
control unit malfunction, the air bag system in the vehicle will not work as
designed and may not be able to properly protect occupants in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the PODS. The manufacturer has reported that
owner notification was expected to begin during October 2003. Owners may
contact VWoA at 1-800-822-8987
[NHTSA Recall No. 03V356/VWoA
Recall No. WU]
MEDIUM/HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS, SCHOOL BUSES AND MOTOR HOMES
Blue Bird Body Company
Models: Blue Bird Vision Year: 2004
Number Potentially Involved: 486
Dates of Manufacture: June – September 2003
Defect: On certain school buses, the power cables that run from the starter to
the power distributor unit could chafe against the bottom corner of the front
floor panel, resulting in an electrical short. An electrical short could cause
the shut-down of engine parts or result in an underhood fire.
Remedy: Dealers will install revised cable mounting brackets. The manufacturer
has reported that owner notification was expected to begin during October 2003.
Owners may contact Blue Bird at 1-478-822-2242.
[NHTSA Recall No. 03V355/Blue Bird Recall No. R03GX]
Fleetwood Enterprises, Inc.
Models: Fleetwood Bounder
Years: 2003-2004
Fleetwood Southwind
Years: 2003-2004
Fleetwood Pace
Arrow Year: 2003
Number Potentially Involved: 1,100
Dates of Manufacture: September 2002 – July 2003
Defect: On certain motor homes built on Workhorse chassis, the hydraulic hose
that operates the leveling jack system was routed too close to the engine
exhaust. The hot exhaust can cause the hose to melt or abrade, releasing
hydraulic fluid. The hydraulic fluid could ignite, resulting in a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace damaged hoses and relocate the
affected hydraulic lines. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification
was expected to begin during October 2003. Owners may contact Fleetwood at
1-800-322-8216. [NHTSA Recall No.
03V344/Fleetwood Recall No. 30908]
EQUIPMENT
Beams Industries, Inc.
Models: Seat Belt
Number Potentially Involved: 20,000
Dates of Manufacture: August – September 2003
Noncompliance: Certain seat belts, Buckle No. 1524 (number stamped on
backside), used on some school buses, passenger, and postal vehicles, fail to
comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 209, "Seat Belt
Assemblies." The metal frame of the seat belt buckle may fracture due to
possible embrittlement of the steel. In the event of a vehicle crash, the
buckle can release, increasing the seat occupant’s risk of serious injuries or
death.
Remedy: Beams Industries, Inc., will notify its customers and replace the
affected seat belts free of charge. The manufacturer has reported that owner
notification was expected to begin during October 2003. Owners should contact
Beams at 1-888-343-9266.
[NHTSA Recall No. 03E046]
Samsung Electronics Company, Ltd.
Models: Microwave Oven
Number Potentially Involved: 183,897
Dates of Manufacture: January 1999 – September 2003
Defect: Certain microwave ovens, Models MR5491G, MR5491G01, MR5492W, MR5494W01,
MR5493G, MR5493G01, MR5494W, MR7491G, MR7491G01, MR7492W, MR7492W01, MR7493G,
MR7493G01, MR6698WB, MR6699GB, AND MR6699SB, were produced with a defective
membrane panel. These ovens have the one-touch instant cook function, for
example, for popcorn, potato, etc. An electrical short can occur causing the
oven to activate without pressing any key pads. This could result in excessive
heat, smoke, or possibly a fire.
Remedy: Samsung will notify its customers and repair the panel free of charge.
In the meantime, consumers should unplug their microwave, if possible. If the
consumer is unable to unplug the microwave, they should leave the door ajar
until the panel is replaced. Consumers should never use the microwave oven for
storage or leave any towels, paper, cloth or other products in the microwave
after use. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification was expected
to begin during October 2003. Owners should contact Samsung at
1-800-932-3837.
[NHTSA Recall No. 03E044]
CHILD SEAT
Britax Child Safety, Inc.
Models: Britax Super Elite
Number Potentially Involved: 2,689
Dates of Manufacture: April 2001 – February 2002
Noncompliance: Certain youth restraints, Model No. E9031, fail to comply with
the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213, “Child
Restraint Systems.” Vehicle crash forces could cause the child’s head to move
further forward than allowed by the standard. This additional head movement
could allow a child's head to strike something in the vehicle, causing injury.
Remedy: Owners will receive a free replacement harness system along with
instructions including TPE pads (also known as Hugs – Harness Ultra-Guard
System). All consumers who returned a registration card to Britax will
automatically receive the free replacement.
The manufacturer has reported that owner notification is expected to begin
during October 2003. Owners should contact Britax's at 1-888-427-4829.
[NHTSA Recall No. 03C008]
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