May 2001 Recalls
The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) today released a list of auto safety recalls announced in May 2001 and
urged consumers to have the problems fixed promptly.
The 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. The Hotline also can be used to report safety problems.
SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGNS
May 2001
VEHICLES:
CARS, VANS, LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS AND MOTORCYCLES
American Honda Motor Company
Models: Honda TL Year: 2002
Number Involved: 10,575
Dates of Manufacture: February - April 2001
Defect: On certain sedans equipped with an "auto-up" power window feature on the driver's door, the driver's side power window control unit can fail. Depending on the failure mode, the window
could become inoperative, open or close independent of switch activation, or the auto-reverse system
may not operate. The auto-reverse system failure could result in occupant injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the power window control unit. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began May 9, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a
reasonable time should contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.
[NHTSA Recall No. 01V161]
American Honda Motor Company
Models: Honda GL1800 Year: 2001
Number Involved: 6,662
Dates of Manufacture: October 2000 - February 2001
Defect: On certain motorcycles equipped with a newly designed engine stop switch, the engine stop switch is sensitive to accidental contact or strong jolting, such as hitting a pothole or riding over
railroad tracks, which could cause the engine to cut out momentarily or even shut off. Sudden loss of
engine power could lead to a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will install a contact plate, e-clip, and two contact plate springs. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began May 18, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free
remedy within a reasonable time should contact Honda at 1-310-532-9811.
[NHTSA Recall No. 01V162]
American Honda Motor Company
Models: Acura 3.2TL Year: 2002
Number Involved: 9,034
Dates of Manufacture: March - May 2001
Noncompliance: Certain sedans fail to comply with requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies." Certain driver and passenger seat belt buckles were
improperly manufactured. The seat belt tongue could not be released from the buckle within the
specified force limit.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the front seat belt buckles. The
manufacturer has reported that owner notification began May 9, 2001. Owners who do not receive
the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.
[NHTSA Recall No. 01V166]
Daewoo Motor America
Models: Daewoo Leganza Years: 1998-2001
Number Involved: 58,691
Noncompliance: Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with requirements of Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard No. 201, "Occupant Protection in Interior Impact." These vehicles exceed
the maximum allowable head injury criteria from contact with the front roof support (A-pillar) in a
crash.
Remedy: Dealers will install padding to the A-pillar to reduce the risk of injury in a crash. The
manufacturer has reported that owner notification began June 8, 2001. Owners who do not receive
the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Daewoo at 1-877-463-2396.
[NHTSA Recall No. 01V180]
DaimlerChrysler Corporation
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Models:
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Dodge Caravan
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Year: 2001
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Dodge Grand Caravan
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Year: 2001
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Chrysler Town and Country
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Year: 2001
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Plymouth Voyager
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Year: 2001
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Number Involved: 41,587
Dates of Manufacture: March - April 2001
Defect: On certain minivans, the lower control arm pivot bolt could fracture. If the bolt fractures,
the lower control arm could separate from the crossmember, causing a loss of vehicle control.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the lower control arm bolts and nuts. The manufacturer has reported
that owner notification began April 30, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a
reasonable time should contact DaimlerChrysler at 1-800-843-1403.
[NHTSA Recall No. 01V152/DaimlerChrysler Recall No. 981]
DaimlerChrysler Corporation
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Models:
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Dodge Dakota
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Years: 1997-2000
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Dodge Durango
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Years: 1997-2000
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Dodge Ram
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Years: 1997-2001
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Number Involved: 216,100
Dates of Manufacture: August 1996 - April 2001
Defect: On certain pickup trucks, the sound deadening material inside the steering wheel could
become detached from the cover and housing. When this occurs, the material could interfere with the
clockspring ribbon and cause an open circuit. The driver air bag system will become disabled, and
the air bag warning lamp will illuminate on the instrument panel.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the clockspring assembly. The manufacturer has reported that owner
notification began June 18, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable
time should contact DaimlerChrysler at 1-800-843-1403.
[NHTSA Recall No. 01V153/DaimlerChrysler Recall No. 982]
DaimlerChrysler Corporation
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Models:
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Dodge Neon
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Years: 2000-2001
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Plymouth Neon
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Years: 2000-2001
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Number Involved: 353,000
Dates of Manufacture: July 1999 - March 2001
Defect: On certain passenger vehicles, the brake booster vacuum hose could swell and loosen from
the intake manifold, causing a loss of power brake assist and an increase in engine idle speed.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake booster vacuum hose. The manufacturer has reported that
owner notification began July 2, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a
reasonable time should contact DaimlerChrysler at 1-800-843-1403.
[NHTSA Recall No. 01V154/DaimlerChrysler Recall No. 983]
Ford Motor Company
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Models:
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Ford Explorer
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Year: 2002
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Mercury Mountaineer
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Year: 2002
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Number Involved: 52,000
Dates of Manufacture: August 2000 - April 2001
Defect: On certain sport utility vehicles, the right side tires may have horizontal cuts on the edge of the tread that could have occurred during vehicle assembly. Over time, the tire could fail, increasing
the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the tires and, if any slices are found, the cut tires will be replaced. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began on June 7, 2001. Owners who do not receive
the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
[NHTSA Recall No. 01V171/Ford Recall No. 01S18]
General Motors Corporation
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Models:
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Chevrolet Suburban
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Year: 2001
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Chevrolet Tahoe
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Year: 2001
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Chevrolet C Series
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Year: 2001
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GMC Suburban
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Year: 2001
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GMC Yukon
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Year: 2001
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GMC Yukon XL
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Year: 2001
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GMC C Series
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Year: 2001
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Number Involved: 9,196
Dates of Manufacture: September - October 2000
Defect: Some pickup and utility trucks have an internal component in the outboard seat belt
retractors for the 2nd and 3rd row of seats that could be cracked. With repeated actuation of the
locking mechanism, the crack could spread to the point such that the seat belt would no longer lock.
In a crash, increased occupant injury could result from the no-lock condition.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the outboard seat belts for specific lot numbers and replace the belts if necessary. GM is enclosing an inspection procedure for the owners to use or they can have their
dealers do the inspections. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began July 2, 2001.
Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC at 1-800-462-8782.
[NHTSA Recall No. 01V159/GM Recall No. 01043]
Kia Motors America, Inc.
Models: Kia Optima Year: 2001
Number Involved: 16,231
Dates of Manufacture: October 2000 - March 2001
Defect: On certain passenger vehicles, the side air bag wire harness for the driver position for the
driver position could be misrouted. This could result in its being pinched or cut by the seat cushion
tilt mechanism. Damage to the wire harness could result in the side air bag not deploying in an
accident.
Remedy: Dealers will check for proper routing of the side air bag wire harness and secure it in place with a plastic tie-wrap. If the wire harness is damaged, it will be replaced. The manufacturer has
reported that owner notification began May 11, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy
within a reasonable time should contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542.
[NHTSA Recall No. 01V156/Kia Recall No. SC020]
Nissan North America, Inc.
Models: Nissan Sentra Year: 2001
Number Involved: 80,000
Dates of Manufacture: July 2000 - April 2001
Defect: On certain passenger vehicles, one or more of the three bolts used to attach each front
suspension lower control arm to the body on the left and right sides may not have been properly
manufactured and could fracture, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the lower control arm attachment bolts. The manufacturer has
reported that owner notification began June 25, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy
within a reasonable time should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
[NHTSA Recall No. 01V174]
Polaris Industries, Inc.
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Models:
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Victory V92SC
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Year: 2001
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Victory V92C
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Year: 2001
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Victory V92DC
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Year: 2001
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Number Involved: 1,392
Dates of Manufacture: March 2000 - April 2001
Defect: On certain motorcycles, the backlash split gear in the primary drive train could fail, causing damage to the clutch and adjacent components. If a failure occurs, metal debris could be scattered
throughout the primary drive train, causing a loss of power to the rear wheel.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the backlash split gear. The manufacturer has reported that owner
notification began May 25, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable
time should contact Polaris/Victory at 1-763-542-0500.
[NHTSA Recall No. 01V147]
Polaris Industries, Inc.
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Models:
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Victory V92SC
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Years: 2000-2001
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Victory V92C
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Years: 2000-2001
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Victory V92DC
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Year: 2001
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Number Involved: 2,039
Dates of Manufacture: January 2000 - February 2001
Defect: On certain motorcycles, threaded fasteners used to attach the brake rotors to the front and
rear wheel assemblies could fail due to hydrogen embrittlement. The failure could occur under the
head of the fastener if a crack develops, causing a loss of clamp load and possible separation of the
head from the threaded body of the fasteners. A fastener failure will reduce the strength of the bolt
assembly and could affect the braking characteristics of the vehicle.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rotor bolts. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification
began May 25, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should
contact Polaris/Victory at 1-763-542-0500.
[NHTSA Recall No. 01V148]
Saab Cars USA, Inc.
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Models:
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Saab 9-3
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Year: 2001
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Saab 9-5
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Year: 2001
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Number Involved: 38,241
Dates of Manufacture: July 2000 - April 2001
Noncompliance: Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with requirements of Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection." The air bag alert labels may not be
permanently affixed as required by this standard.
Remedy: Dealers will clean the sunvisor surface and apply a new air bag alert label on both
sunvisors. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification will begin July 30, 2001. Owners
who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Saab at 1-800-955-9007.
[NHTSA Recall No. 01V168/Saab Recall No. 15200]
Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Models: Audi A6 Years: 1998-2001
Number Involved: 58,000
Defect: Sulfur in fuel interacts with certain additives found in widely available gasoline causing sulfur to become deposited on the contact points of three fuel sending units mounted inside the fuel
tank. This could cause the fuel gauge to read full while the fuel tank may not in fact be full or could
be empty. Running out of fuel without warning while the fuel gauge indicates that there is sufficient
fuel in the tank could lead to safety problems.
Remedy: Dealers will remove the existing fuel level sending units and replace them with fuel level sending units using a new alloy composed of gold, silver, and a small amount of nickel, which will
not chemically react with sulfur. (VW/Audi will also call back vehicles that were repaired under a
previous recall last June in order to install the updated fuel sending units). The manufacturer has
reported that owner notification began May 11, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy
within a reasonable time should contact Audi at 1-800-822-8987.
[NHTSA Recall No. 01V157/Audi Recall No. LH]
Volvo Cars of North America, Inc.
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Models:
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Volvo S40
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Year: 2001
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Volvo V40
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Year: 2001
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Number Involved: 19,000
Dates of Manufacture: May - December 2000
Defect: Certain passenger vehicles are being recalled for a problem with a diode in the electronic
climate control system. The diode may have a reduced service life.
Remedy: Dealers will install an adapter with a diode fitted to the heater fan motor. The
manufacturer has reported that owner notification began June 11, 2001. Owners who do not receive
the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
[NHTSA Recall No. 01V169/Volvo Recall No. 106]
MEDIUM/HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS, SCHOOL BUSES AND MOTOR HOMES
American Transportation Corporation
Models: AmTran IC Years: 2000-2001
Number Involved: 414
Dates of Manufacture: June - May 2000
Noncompliance: Certain school buses do not meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 111, "Rearview Mirrors." The left and right convex mirrors are located too low.
Pedestrians could be injured or killed if the driver of the school bus cannot see them.
Remedy: Owners will be instructed to replace the mirror mounting arms and brackets. Owners will
be provided with instructions and repair kits. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification
began on June 15, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should
contact AmTran at 1-501-505-2190.
[NHTSA Recall No. 01V177/AmTran Recall No. 01-301]
New Flyer of America, Inc.
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Models:
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New Flyer D40LF
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Years: 1997-1998
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New Flyer C40LF
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Years: 1997-1998
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New Flyer L40LF
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Years: 1997-1998
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New Flyer D35LF
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Years: 1997-1998
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New Flyer C35LF
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Years: 1997-1998
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New Flyer D30LF
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Years: 1997-1998
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Number Involved: 978
Dates of Manufacture: June 1997 - December 1998
Defect: On certain transit buses, there could be a casting defect in the left side spring tower. The spring towers support the vehicle structure, and failure of a tower could cause a sudden shift in the
front axle, which could lead to loss of control of the vehicle.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the spring tower. The manufacturer has reported that owner
notification began May 28, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable
time should contact New Flyer at 1-204-982-8181.
[NHTSA Recall No. 01V160]
Pierce Manufacturing, Inc.
Models: Pierce Fire Truck Years: 1996-2000
Number Involved: 800
Dates of Manufacture: January 1996 - December 2000
Defect: Certain fire trucks built on commercial chassis with options for fuel tank step covers were built without drain holes in the aluminum step located below the fuel fill opening. Spilled fuel on the
fuel tank steps can create a slip hazard. The holes will help drain any fuel that is accidentally spilled
on the step.
Remedy: Dealers will drill holes in the step. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began May 8, 2001. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should
contact Pierce at 1-888-974-3723.
[NHTSA Recall No. 01V151]
EQUIPMENT
Tong Ho Hsing Industrial Company
Models: Biker's Choice Helmet
Biker's Choice Skid Lid
Number Involved: 6,000
Dates Shipped: Prior to February 2001
Defect: Certain U-67 motorcycle helmets contain a defective chin strap. The male part of the strap does not lock properly and could possibly come undone without the wearer's knowledge. In the
event of a crash, the helmet could come off, possibly resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: The manufacturer will notify its distributors to either return the defective helmets or have them repaired free of charge. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began June 25,
2001. On behalf of Tong Ho Hsing, Tucker Rocky Distributing will be conducting the remedy
campaign. Owners who do not receive the free replacement helmet or have the helmet repaired
within a reasonable time should contact Tucker at 1-877-529-6905.
[NHTSA Recall No.01E022]
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