Fontaine Steering

Fontaine is recalling about 811 vehicles over a problem with the steering. Without a retaining clip, the steering may feel "loose" and be unresponsive which may increase steering difficulty and the likelihood of a vehicle crash.

Campaign
13V042000
Manufacturer
Fontaine Modification
Reported
8 February 2013
Vehicles
811
Built between
Jan 2011 – Jan 2013
Models
5
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
12 April 2013
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between January 2011 and January 2013. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 2011-2013 Fontaine Int'l 4300 W/Dual SteerinBuilt January 2011 to January 2013
  • 2011-2013 Fontaine Int'l 4400 W/Dual SteerinBuilt January 2011 to January 2013
  • 2011-2013 Fontaine Int'l 7300 W/Dual SteerinBuilt January 2011 to January 2013
  • 2011-2013 Fontaine Int'l 7400 W/Dual SteerinBuilt January 2011 to January 2013
  • 2011-2013 Fontaine Int'l 7500 W/Dual SteerinBuilt January 2011 to January 2013

What the defect is

Fontaine Modification is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Navistar International 4300, 4400, 7300, 7400, and 7500 trucks; manufactured January 1, 2011 through January 9, 2013 and were modified to be able to be steered from either front seat. Certain steering assembly retaining clips may not be completely engaged, resulting in the clips coming loose.

What could happen

Without a retaining clip, the steering may feel "loose" and be unresponsive which may increase steering difficulty and the likelihood of a vehicle crash.

What gets fixed

Fontaine will notify owners and dealers will inspect each truck's steering cross shaft assembly. Any that are found defective will have the complete steering cross shaft assembly replaced, free of charge. The recall began on April 12, 2013.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtJanuary 2011 to January 2013
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA8 February 2013
  3. Owners notified12 April 2013

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 8 February 2013.

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.

Manufacturer contact

Owners may contact Fontaine at 1-800-366-8246.

Official source

Recalling manufacturer
Fontaine Modification
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

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

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