Recalls in November 2004

November 19, 2004
General Motors says it will recall nearly 200,000 Saturn Ions to fix front lights and turn signals.

The company said the Ion's daytime running lights and the front turn signals could fail due to a loss of contact between the light bulb and the socket.

The recall includes 178,798 Ions in the United States and 18,513 in Canada for a total of 197,311. GM said it was aware of one non-injury accident that may have been related to the faulty lights.

GM will notify Saturn owners to bring their cars to a dealership to replace the bulbs in the daytime running lights and the turn signals. Dealers will also inspect and install a jumper kit for the lights if one is not present.

The recall is not expected to begin until Dec. 17, when parts will be available.

November 19, 2004
Kubota Tractor Corp. is recalling about 16,000 FTV900 utility vehicles.

The front hood of the RTV900 utility vehicle can come off during operation, striking the driver or passenger and causing serious personal injury.

Kubota has received reports of two personal injuries to the face and/or back while people were operating the vehicles.

The RTV900 Utility Vehicles are four-wheel, off-road vehicles with cargo boxes. They are designed for two people to sit side by side. "RTV900" appears on the side of the front hood. The serial number range for the affected vehicles is 10001 through 25883.

The units were sold by authorized Kubota RTV900 Dealers nationwide ftbm January 2004 through October 2004 at a suggested retail price of between $9,899 and $11,199.

Consumers should stop using the recalled vehicles and contact the nearest Kubota RTV900 Dealer to schedule an appointment to have the hood inspected and, if necessar, replaced free of charge.

Consumer Contact: Contact Kubota Tractor Corporation toll-free at (888) 458-2682, Ext. 990 (or 888 4-KUBOTA, Ext. 990) at any time during the week. Consumers also can go to the company's web site at www.kubota.com.

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

November 16, 2004
The Nautilus Group is recalling its Bowflex Power Pro and Ultimate Fitness Machines. The seat pin on the Power Pro with Lat Tower and Ultimate models can break or become disengaged, allowing the seat to move suddenly.

Also, the incline support bracket on the Power Pro without a Lat Tower can break, allowing the incline bench to move suddenly. Both hazards pose a fall risk to the user.

Nautilus has received 46 reports of the seat pin failure, including two serious injuries requiring stitches to the head. Additionally, Nautilus received 42 reports of the incline support bracket failure including injuries to the back, neck and head.

The recalled fitness machines are the Bowflex Power Pro with and without a Lat Tower and Ultimate models built before September 1, 2002. The Lat Tower attaches to the back of the bench, and has pull-down pulleys attached. The name Bowflex and the model name are printed on the front of the machines.

The machines were sold at specialty fitness stores, infomercials and direct sales nationwide from January 1995 through April 2004 for between $1,200 and $1,600.

Consumers should stop using the incline support mechanism and contact Bowflex to receive a free repair kit. Consumers who participated in the Bowflex safety recall earlier in 2004, and owners of Ultimate units do not need to call Bowflex for a repair kit, as they will receive one automatically. Nautilus is contacting owners of affected machines by direct mail where the name is known to the firm.

Contact Bowflex at (800) 820-8604 between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m. PT Monday through Saturday, or visit the firms Web site at www.bowflex.com.

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

November 15, 2004
The Robert Bosch Tool Corp. is recalling about 6,400 of its Type 1 Abrasive Cut-Off Wheels. do not have correct speed rating labels. If used at the labeled speed rating, the wheels can burst, causing possible injury to user and bystanders.

The wheels were sold under the BOSCH brand name under the following catalog numbers:

The recalled 12-inch-diameter wheels can be identified by a stamped expiration date in the metal center ring of V 6/2007 or before.

Expiration date V 7/2007 and after are not included in this recall. The smaller wheels (2-1/2-inch to 4-inch diameters) under this recall will state "Made in Bulgaria." The replacement smaller wheels will state made in Canada, and are not affected by this recall.

The wheels were sold by industrial distributors or hardware stores nationwide from September 2003 to August 2004. The wheels cost between $3 and $5 for the 2-1/2-inch to 4-inch diameter sizes and $10 to $20 for the 12-inch diameter wheels.

Consumers should stop using the recalled wheels immediately and contact Bosch for return and replacement instructions.

Consumer Contact: Call Bosch Power Tool at (800) 351-5813 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's Web site at www.Boschtools.com

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

November 5, 2004
General Motors is recalling nearly 1.5 million vehicles, including 1 million SUVs, in North America to fix tail lights that could loosen and flicker. Another 200,000 cars are being recalled to fix an accelerator sticking problem.

The recall of nearly 1 million SUVs includes the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, TrailBlazer EXT, GMC Envoy XL and Oldsmobile from the 2002 to 2004 model years and the 2004 Buick Rainier. Vibration and heat can cause the rear lights to stop working, the company said.

Mid-sized cars with the sticky accelerator include the Chevrolet Malibu, Oldsmobile Alero and Pontiac Grand Am from the 2003 model year. Dealers will inspect, and if necessary will replace the accelerator and brake pedal assembly, according to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

A third recall includes the 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire small cars for faulty rear brake and turn signals that could fail due to inadequate contact between the bulb and socket. Dealers will inspect the light sockets and fix the problem by applying grease or replacing the assembly if necessary, the NHTSA said.

GM said it knows of five crashes that could be due to faulty rear lights on the SUVs and the small cars.

Finally, GM recalled a total of 5,914 of its 2004 to 2005 Cadillac XLR and 2005 Chevrolet Corvette sports cars to fix a brake line that could leak.

GM has recalled a total of 10.47 million vehicles in North America this year through the end of October, above the total of 7.8 million for all of 2003.

November 5, 2004
Cannondale Crossroads and Perimeter Handlebar Bags are being recalled. The plastic, handlebar-mounted, quick-release bags can fall off the bicycle while it is being ridden, causing the rider to crash.

Cannondale has received one report of a rider crashing when a bag fell under his front wheel while he was riding, resulting in him suffering serious injuries.

The recall involves 2004- and 2005-models of black handlebar bags. They are the quick-release-type bag, with a support and sleeve to secure it to the bicycle. The Crossroads model number is BHB322 and the Perimeter model number is BHB320, which can be found on the packaging. The model name and number is not written on the product. The Cannondale logo is on the front of the bags.

Only bags with the pattern of reflective material and logo shown in the photos are included in the recall. Older bags that have an American flag sewn into an outer seam or have a Cannondale Made in USA tag on an inner seam are not included in the recall.

The bags were sold at Cannondale bicycle stores nationwide from September 2003 through August 2004 for about $35 for the Perimeter and about $60 for the Crossroads bag.

Consumers should stop using the bags immediately, and return them to a local Cannondale store or contact Cannondale Bicycle Corp. to get a replacement bag fitted with a corrected sleeve and support system.

Consumer Contact: Call Cannondale toll-free at (800) BIKE-USA between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit Cannondales Web site at www.cannondale.com

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

November 3, 2004
Schneider Electric is recalling about 700,000 of its Square D Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCI).

An AFCI is an electrical circuit protection device (circuit breaker) that detects electrical arcs from cracked, broken or damaged electrical insulation and shuts off power to the circuit before the arcing leads to a fire. An electronic component failure inside the AFCIs can cause the devices to not detect an electrical arc.

Although the AFCIs will function as regular circuit breakers, they may not detect an arc fault, posing a safety risk to consumers.

Schneider Electric is investigating one reported fire during a new home construction that may be related to this problem. No injuries have been reported.

The recalled Square D QO and Homeline Arc Fault Interrupter circuit breakers are used with 15- and 20-amp branch circuits. They are required to be installed in bedroom circuits in accordance with the 2002 National Electrical Code. The recalled units were manufactured after March 1, 2004, and have a blue test button.

The AFCI circuit breakers have one of the following date codes CN, DN, EN, FN, GN, HN, or JN stamped in red on the breaker label located just above the wiring terminal. The recalled units also have one of the following catalog numbers printed on a label on the front of the breaker: QO115AFI, QO115AFIC, QO120AFI, QO120AFIC, QOB115AFI, QOB120AFI, HOM115AFI, HOM115AFIC, HOM120AFI, HOM120AFIC, QO115VHAFI, QO120VHAFI, QOB115VHAFI, or QOB120VHAFI.

Electrical distributors and retailers sold the AFCIs between March 2004 and September 2004 for between $30 and $130.

Installed AFCIs will be replaced free of charge through electrical contractors. Consumers can return uninstalled AFCIs to the retailers or distributor from whom the unit was purchased for a free replacement unit.

Consumers should call Schneider Electric toll-free at (877) 202-9046 between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or log on to the companys Website at www.us.squared.com/recall/AFCI.

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).