The problem
Vehicle description: school/transit buses and medium duty trucks. The castings used on the power steering pumps were not built to match the engineering drawings, resulting in a thin wall in the pump casting or a complete connection of two passages that are supposed to be separated to control fluid flow. The fluid flow may be reduced to less than the minimum required flow rate to provide full power assist to the brake system with low engine speed.
The risk
An increase in stopping distance at slow engine speeds can result, increasing the possibility of a crash.
The fix
Dealers will inspect and replace all pumps that have the defective casting numbers.
Contacts
Owner notification began may 31, 2000. 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 international at 1-800-448-7825. Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).
What to do
- Check your VIN. Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls - it shows whether this recall applies to your vehicle and whether the repair has been done.
- Call a dealer. Any authorized International Harvester dealer will do the repair free, whether or not you bought the vehicle there. Quote campaign 00V148000.
- Ask about parts and a loaner. If parts aren't available yet, ask what to do in the meantime.
- Keep your paperwork. If you paid for this repair before the recall, you may be able to get reimbursed - here's how.