Autocar Steering: Shaft Pitman

Autocar is recalling about 115 vehicles over a problem with the steering. If the steering components become detached from each other, this could result in loss of vehicle steering without warning, which could cause a crash.

Campaign
03V453000
Manufacturer
AUTOCAR, LLC
Reported
14 November 2003
Vehicles
115
Built between
Jul 2003 – Nov 2003
Models
5
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
21 November 2003
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between July 2003 and November 2003. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 2003 Autocar WX64Built July 2003 to November 2003
  • 2003 Autocar WXLL42Built July 2003 to November 2003
  • 2003 Autocar WXLL64Built July 2003 to November 2003
  • 2003 Autocar WXR42Built July 2003 to November 2003
  • 2003 Autocar WXR64Built July 2003 to November 2003

What the defect is

On certain class 8 trucks, the castle nut holding the pitman arm to the steering drag link can vibrate loose due to a missing cotter pin.

What could happen

If the steering components become detached from each other, this could result in loss of vehicle steering without warning, which could cause a crash.

What gets fixed

AUTOCAR HAS TELEPHONED ALL CUSTOMERS AND ALL VEHICLES HAVE BEEN REPAIRED.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtJuly 2003 to November 2003
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA14 November 2003
  3. Owners notified21 November 2003

Your rights

A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.

That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 14 November 2003.

To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.

Official source

Manufacturer's recall number
A-0303
Recalling manufacturer
AUTOCAR, LLC
Recall initiated by
MFR

Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Additional notes

Autocar recall no. 1-0303.CUSTOMERS can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Check your own vehicle

This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.

A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.

Same component

Same brand