American Steel Trailer Hitches: Fifth Wheel Assembly

American Steel is recalling about 5,579 vehicles over a problem with the trailer hitches. Inadequate metal hardness could result in hitch pin clipfailure and possible result in separation of the tractor from trailer.

Campaign
87E037000
Manufacturer
AMERICAN STEEL FOUNDRIES
Reported
14 December 1987
Vehicles
5,579
Built between
Feb 1987 – Aug 1987
Models
1
Recall type
Equipment
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
5 November 1987
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between February 1987 and August 1987. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • American Steel American SteelBuilt February 1987 to August 1987

What the defect is

The bracket pin cotter key on the connection between the fifth wheel and the mounting bracket on truck frame was replaced with a hitch pin clip. This clip was found to be of inadequate metal hardness.

What could happen

Inadequate metal hardness could result in hitch pin clipfailure and possible result in separation of the tractor from trailer.

What gets fixed

THE HITCH PIN CLIP WILL BE REPLACED WITH AN IMPROVED CLINCH PIN.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtFebruary 1987 to August 1987
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA14 December 1987
  3. Owners notified5 November 1987

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 December 1987.

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
AMERICAN STEEL FOUNDRIES
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

System: fifth wheelvehicle category: tractors

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