RoadVitals

NHTSA safety recall

Recall 80V005000: TRAILER HITCHES

ZIEMAN MFG. CO. · Reported to NHTSA Jan 22, 1980

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
Units potentially affectedThe manufacturer's own estimate of how many vehicles or items of equipment may contain the defect. It is not a count of failures, and not every unit in the range is necessarily affected.
30
Model years coveredModel years in our database that NHTSA matched to this campaign. Whether an individual vehicle is covered still depends on its VIN.
4
Models covered
2
Grouped from the model years above
Reported to NHTSA
Jan 22, 1980
Production Feb 1, 1979 – Jan 1, 1980

What this recall covers

NHTSA's campaign record, quoted as published

The defect

THE DEFECT IS DUE TO A DESIGN ERROR IN THE COUPLING SYSTEM OF THE TRAILER AND TOWING VEHICLE. IN NORMAL OPERATION, THE SURGE BRAKE HITCH COUPLER ACTIVATES THE TRAILER BRAKES AS THE TOWING VEHICLE DECELERATES. A TRANSVERSE PIN, LOCATED IN THE REAR PART OF THE BRAKE ACTUATOR, MAY PULL OUT OF THE FIXED EARS AT ITS EXTREME ENDS. THIS WOULD ALLOW TRAILER SEPARATION, EXCEPT FOR THE SAFETY CHAINS.

The remedy

DEALER WILL INSPECT VEHICLE AND REPLACE DEFECTIVE COMPONENTS WITHOUT CHARGE.

Notes

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT TRAILERS.SYSTEM: EQUIPMENT; SURGE BRAKE HITCH COUPLER.CONSEQUENCES OF DEFECT: IF THE SAFETY CHAINS BREAK, THE TRAILER WOULD ROLL FREEAND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. PARTIAL SEPARATION COULD ALSO CAUSE LOSS OFVEHICLE CONTROL AND AN ACCIDENT.

A safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.

Campaign details

Identifiers and dates as filed with NHTSA

Manufacturer
ZIEMAN MFG. CO.
Manufacturer's campaign number
Not recorded
NHTSA campaign number
80V005000
Units potentially affected
30
Report received
Jan 22, 1980
Production range
Feb 1, 1979 – Jan 1, 1980
Campaign type
Vehicle
Federal safety standard (FMVSS)
Not recorded

Vehicles covered

4 model years across 2 models

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.