- Vehicles
- 360
- Built between
- From Sep 1980
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Equipment
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 8 December 1980
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between September 1980 and an unspecified date. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- Radiator Speciality Radiator SpecialityBuilt September 1980 to unknown
What the defect is
Some of the involved brake fluid contains a contaminant that may cause deterioration to the rubber parts in the brake system. The brake fluid does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 116, "motor vehicle brake fluids".
What gets fixed
IF CONTAMINATED BRAKE FLUID IS FOUND IN THE MASTER CYLINDER, ALL RUBBER PARTS OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM WILL BE REPLACED WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER. ALL UNSOLD SUSPECT BRAKE FLUID WILL ALSO BE RECALLED.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtSeptember 1980 to unknown
- Recall reported to NHTSA8 December 1980
- Owners notified8 December 1980
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 December 1980.
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
- Recalling manufacturer
- RADIATOR
- Safety standard
- FMVSS 116
- 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
Vehicle category: passenger vehicles.system: service brakes; brake fluid, M43-40 DOT-3.CONSEQUENCES of defect: loss of braking action could occur without priorwarning, possibly resulting in a vehicle accident.note: the following warning signs may be present: abnormal braking action,unexplained loss of brake fluid, the need to bleed brake lines after recentrepair, and petroleum odor in the brake fluid. The vehicle should not be drivenon the highway if abnormal braking action or the presence of contaminated brakefluid is suspected.
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.