16,500 Navistar Trucks Recalled

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Today’s Trucking / December 15, 2015

Nearly 16,500 Navistar International model trucks including 1,500 in Canada are being recalled.

The bulk are ProStar models, but the recall also includes the DuraStar, WorkStar, TransStar and LoneStar models, all from the 2012-2013 model year.

The move follows an investigation by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that the trucks may have accelerator pedals that do not fully return to the closed throttle position, resulting in engines idling at slightly higher RPMs, which can keep the engine brake from engaging.

The investigation was opened following complaints from truck owners. Navistar identified 1,233 warranty clams related to accelerator pedal issues, with 70.3% of these claims on manual transmission vehicles.

“Some drivers indicated they were annoyed, while others stated that at idle they were able to keep the vehicle stopped but need to apply more pressure to the brake pedal,” said one NHTSA investigation document. “Some consumers indicated that the engine speed was so high with a manual transmission that the engine-brake would not work, while others stated they were able to pull the accelerator pedal back from underneath with their foot and bring the engine speed back to normal.”

Dealer notification is expected to begin around mid-January, according to Lyndi McMillan, external communications manager for Navistar.

“There were no crashes, property damage, injuries or fatalities resulting from this issue, and the remedy will involve recalibration of the engine Electronic Control Module (ECM) to eliminate the high idle condition,” she said.

Navistar informed NHTSA it became aware of an unauthorized part change to the throttle control unit assembly, manufactured by Williams Controls, from April 2012 to March 2013. This unauthorized change was corrected and all vehicles were being retrofitted with the originally designed part.