December 11, 2009, 11:45 am
Harley-Davidson Recalling 111,000 Motorcycles
By CHRISTOPHER JENSEN

Harley-Davidson is recalling almost 111,600 motorcycles because the fuel tanks could leak following a severe crash. The company told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it discovered the problem during its own crash testing, and it is not aware of any “fires, injuries or fatalities” related to the defect. The recall covers 2009–10 Touring, CVO and Trike motorcycles.

In other recent action:

• Subaru also has a new recall involving a concern about fire. It is recalling about 5,700 of its 2002-03 Impreza WRX models because of a possible fuel leak, according to the safety agency. But Subaru says it is not a big deal.

The agency says under “extremely cold temperatures,” leaks in the fuel delivery line could occur, possibly leading to a fire. It says there are 944 complaints of either fuel leakage or the smell of gasoline including one report from Subaru about a fire.

However, in a letter to the agency Subaru says it has “concluded that the affected vehicles do not contain a safety related defect within the meaning of federal motor vehicle safety law.” It says it will recall the vehicles, nevertheless, to “resolve concerns by our owners and N.H.T.S.A.”

While the safety agency’s investigation covered about 43,000 vehicles nationwide it is allowing Subaru to recall only vehicles from the following cold-weather states: South Dakota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Minnesota, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, Colorado, Wisconsin, New York, Wyoming, Michigan, Alaska, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.

In other states Subaru says it will extend the warranty on the fuel line to 12 years and unlimited mileage. In addition, owners who smell gasoline can take the car to a dealer for the recall.

• Forty-two Wildfire WF 120V electric vehicles are being recalled after N.H.T.S.A. tested one and discovered the windshield does not have the proper safety glass and it could shatter if struck by an object.

The importer, Wildfire Motors of Steubenville, Ohio, told the agency the two-passenger coupes were imported “from China manufacturer more than a year ago and has since been discontinued.” It also said while it did not inspect each of the imported vehicles “Wildfire Motors remembers seeing vehicles that it received that did have the proper windshields.”

• The agency says it is upgrading its investigation into possible suspension failures on 110,000 1998–2002 Isuzu Rodeos and its sibling, the Honda Passport. The agency says it seems possible that the left or right rear suspension lower link could separate from the frame due to corrosion. The agency says it has seven cases in which drivers said they lost control and one report of an accident. It began a preliminary evaluation in June and having found some reason for concern has now advanced that to an engineering analysis.

For more information or to report a safety problem go here.