The defect
WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN, THE FORCE OF THE WIND AGAINST THE HOOD CAN FORCE THE HOOD BEHIND THE BUMPER ALLOWING THE HOOD TO DROP. THIS REDUCES THE TENSION ON THE TWO RUBBER HOLD-DOWNS WHICH THEN BECOME LOOSE.
The risk
IF BOTH TIE DOWNS COME LOOSE, THE HOOD CAN SEPARATE DURING VEHICLE OPERATION LEADING TO A POSSIBLE BROKEN WINDSHIELD AND/OR BLOCKING OF THE DRIVER'S VISION, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH..
The remedy
DEALERS WILL ADD A METAL BRACKET AND A SECOND BUMPER ABOVE AND BEHIND THE ORIGINAL BUMPER SO THAT THE HOOD CANNOT BE PUSHED OR SLIP BEHIND THE ORIGINAL (BOTTOM) BUMPER.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Utilimaster Walk-IN Van | 1996, 1997 |
Components: STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utilimaster Walk-IN Van | 1996 | 0 | 4 |
| Utilimaster Walk-IN Van | 1997 | 0 | 4 |
Other structure recalls in 1997
21 of the 268 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 1997 concerned the structure; UTILIMASTER CORPORATION filed 27 campaigns in all.
| 97V232000 18 Dec 1997 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. |
| 97V235001 18 Dec 1997 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY |
| 97V229000 11 Dec 1997 | EAST MANUFACTURING CORP. |
| 97V180000 20 Oct 1997 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY |
| 97V164000 22 Sept 1997 | TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLES |
| 97V137000 19 Aug 1997 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY |
| 97V130000 18 Aug 1997 | COLLINS BUS CORPORATION |
| 97V117000 25 Jul 1997 | THOMAS BUILT BUSES, INC. |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 1997