VW, Toyota Top Recall Reminder List
Volkswagen and Toyota Motor Corp. topped the list of vehicle recall reminders announced this month by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in its campaign to increase owner response to the safety alerts.
NHTSA said Volkswagen is recalling 311,047 Passat and Jetta sedans to fix a fuel tank filler problem and 55,000 cars to repair brakes that can catch fire.
Toyota’s recall involves 273,743 of its popular 4Runner sport utility vehicles, some with weak rear suspensions that could add to loss of control if the vehicle is overloaded.
The recalls first were reported in January. NHTSA, concerned that almost 30% of recalled vehicles are not repaired, issues a monthly reminder of recalls, originally announced up to 10 weeks earlier, to alert consumers who might have ignored or been skipped by manufacturers’ initial notices.
Other January recalls in NHTSA’s monthly reminder:
* The Land Rover unit of Ford Motor Co. said that 55,505 of its Discovery II SUVs built between April 1998 and July 2001 have a faulty anti-lock brake control unit and that 64,925 Discovery II models built between April 1998 and January of this year have accelerator cables that can weaken and break. Recall notices began going out in February.
* Chrysler Group said it would recall 71,677 of its 2002 model Jeep Grand Cherokees to modify a fuel tank guard that can knock off a tank-mounted vapor recovery control valve during a crash, possibly causing a fuel leak. Chrysler has not notified NHTSA of its owner notification schedule.
* Saab Cars USA said it would recall 2,601 of its 9-5 models built between September and November 2001 to inspect for, and repair if necessary, a defective steering system part. Saab began notifying owners of the 2002 model year cars in mid-January.
* Harley-Davidson Co. said it was recalling 26,949 motorcycles built in October and November to inspect for, and replace if needed, a wiring clip that can detach from the front fender, causing a wire to fray and blow out the main lighting system fuse. The company was to begin notifying customers last month.
The large VW recall campaign involves 1998 through 2000 model year Passats and 1997-99 Jettas. The cars have weak-walled rear wheel liners that could fail to protect the fuel filler tube from damage if a tire were to blow and disintegrate. The repair involves installing stronger wheel well liners.
VW’s smaller recall involves New Beetles, Jettas and Golfs built from October 2000 to September 2001. NHTSA said the anti-lock brake system control unit could suffer an electrical short and catch fire.
Toyota’s recall involves rear suspension parts on two-wheel-drive 4Runners built between November 1995 and February 1998, but the company is calling in all 4Runners built during that time, including four-wheel-drive models, to avoid customer confusion about which are affected.
Toyota said that when the two-wheel-drive models are heavily loaded in the rear, abrupt steering maneuvers could lead to loss of control. The repair for affected models is replacement of certain rear suspension parts. Customer notification began in November.
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More information about recalls can be obtained online at www .nhtsa.dot.gov or by calling the NHTSA hot line at (888) 327-4236.
