Defective Kawasaki ATVs Recalled
Kawasaki Motors Corp., the Japan-based manufacturer of all terrain vehicles and KYMCO, the South Carolina-based importer for these vehicles, have announced an auto product recall of about 1,700 ATVs because a manufacturing defect in the carburetor can cause the throttle to stick open, posing a risk of serious injury or death to the rider. According to this alert issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), so far no injuries or fatalities have been reported in connection with this defective product.
This defective auto product recall reportedly involves model year 2008 Mongoose 50cc, 70cc and 90cc Youth ATVs. The name of the importer, “KYMCO”, is printed on a label on the front of the vehicle and the model name is printed on a label located on each side of the fuel tank. The ATVs, manufactured in Taiwan, were sold by KYMCO dealers nationwide from August 2007 through June 2008 for between $1,700 and $2,100.
If you have been using this vehicle, please stop using it immediately and contact any authorized KYMCO dealer to schedule a repair for free. According to the dealer’s Web site, all registered owners have been sent direct mail notification of this product recall. Those in need of more information are asked to call KYMCO USA toll-free at 888-235-3417 or visit their Web site.
The ATV dealer and manufacturer should be commended for issuing this recall in a timely manner. This product recall is all the more crucial because it involves all terrain vehicles commonly used by children 16 years and below. According to recent CPSC statistics, about one-fourth of those killed in ATV accidents in 2006 were children 16 years or younger. In 2006, 111 deaths were reported and about 39,300 children were treated in emergency rooms for ATV accident related injuries.
