Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
Manufacturer
WESTERN STAR TRUCKS, INC.
Vehicles affected
21
Reported to NHTSA
1996-01-05
Owners notified
1996-02-27
Defect description
THESE HEAVY TRUCKS WERE EQUIPPED WITH EXHAUST MUFFLERS WITHOUT HEAT SHIELDING.
Safety risk
SOMEONE WORKING BEHIND THE CAB COULD CONTACT THE HOT MUFFLER CAUSING PERSONAL INJURY. ALSO SOME OF THESE VEHICLES WERE EQUIPPED WITH DECK PLATES WITH NO GRAB HANDLES FOR ACCESS.
Manufacturer remedy
DEALERS WILL INSTALL MUFFLER SHIELDS AND, WHERE NECESSARY, GRAB HANDLES.
STRAPS HOLDING THE SLEEPER UPPER BUNK IN THE RAISED POSITION CAN RELEASE WITHOUT WARNING.
Safety risk
IF THE RESTRAINING STRAP RELEASES SUDDENLY, THEBUNK FALLS WITHOUT WARNING AND CAN STRIKE AN OCCUPANT SITTING IN THE LOWER BUNK CAUSING PERSONAL INJURY.
Manufacturer remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE UPPER BUNK RETAINING STRAPS WITH AN IMPROVED AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY BELT STYLE DESIGN STRAP.
THE CAB ACCESS GRAB HANDLES HAVE THINNER THAN SPECIFIED WALL THICKNESS AND ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO FATIGUE FAILURE BREAKING AT THE BEND RADIUS NEAR THE UPPER MOUNTING BOLT HOLE.
Safety risk
FAILURE DURING USE OF THE GRAB HANDLES CAN CAUSE AUSER TO FALL RESULTING IN PERSONAL INJURY.
Manufacturer remedy
WESTERN STAR DEALERS WILL REMOVE AND DESTROY THE RECALLED GRAB HANDLES. NEW HANDLES WILL BE INSTALLED ON THESE VEHICLES.
THE BURN RATE FOR THE MATTRESS TICKING EXCEEDS THE 4 INCHES PER MINUTE REQUIREMENT OF FMVSS 302, "FLAMMABILITY OF INTERIOR MATERIALS."
Safety risk
EXCESSIVE BURN RATES OF INTERIOR MATERIALS PRESENTS ANINCREASED RISK OF INJURY TO VEHICLE OCCUPANTS IN CASE OF A FIRE.
Manufacturer remedy
REPLACE THE MATTRESS TICKING WITH NEW COVERS THAT COMPLY WITH THE STANDARD.
Owner complaints
A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.
No complaints recorded for this model year.
Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.