Altec Service Brakes, Electric

Altec is recalling about 825 vehicles over a problem with the service brakes, electric. The trailer brakes may be inoperable or could inadvertently be applied when the truck chassis lights are switched on, increasing the risk of a vehicle accident.

Campaign
96V179000
Manufacturer
ALTEC, INCORPORATED
Reported
23 September 1996
Vehicles
825
Built between
May 1992 – Jul 1996
Models
2
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
15 November 1996
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between May 1992 and July 1996. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 1992-1996 Altec Whisper ChipperBuilt May 1992 to July 1996
  • 1992-1996 Altec WhisperdiscBuilt May 1992 to July 1996

What the defect is

The brake wire inside the trailer brake wiring plug was connected to the wrong terminal and, therefore, not properly connected to the switch in the truck cab which controls the trailer brakes.

What could happen

The trailer brakes may be inoperable or could inadvertently be applied when the truck chassis lights are switched on, increasing the risk of a vehicle accident.

What gets fixed

THE TRAILER BRAKE WIRING WILL BE INSPECTED AND CORRECTED IF NECESSARY. OWNERS CAN PERFORM THIS INSPECTION AND REPLACE OR HAVE A DEALER DO THE NECESSARY CORRECTIONS IF THEY SO DESIRE.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtMay 1992 to July 1996
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA23 September 1996
  3. Owners notified15 November 1996

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 23 September 1996.

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
ALTEC, INCORPORATED
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

Owner notification:owner notification is expected to begin november 15, 1996. Note:owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact altec at 1-919-528-2535. Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-800-424-9393.

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