Loss of Steering Control from Tie Rod Failure

Affected vehicles (1)

Component / system

Defect

Meritor, Inc. (Meritor) is recalling certain replacement tie rods equipped with USK ball studs, part numbers A1-3102F4738, A1-3102E4737, and A1-3102P4748. The tie rod assemblies may contain ball studs that have been incorrectly heat-treated, which can cause them to break, and possibly result in tie rod failure.

Risk / consequence

Tie rod failure can cause a loss of vehicle steering control and increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the tie rods as necessary, free of charge. Owners may contact Meritor customer service at 1-866-668-7221.

Chronology of events

1. Jul 10, 2024

   7/10/2024 USK informs Meritor that a population of tie rods equipped with suspect ball studs were shipped to Meritor.

2. Jul 10, 2024

   7/10/2024 Meeting held with USK to understand the failure mode, containment, and population.

3. Jul 11, 2024

   7/11/2024 Internal containment activity performed; shipping records reviewed to identify product potentially shipped to customers.

4. Jul 17, 2024

   7/12-7/17/2024 Engineering review and analysis performed, and technical position developed.

5. Jul 18, 2024

   7/18/2024 Engineering technical position presented to the Product Safety and Compliance Committee 7/ 19/2024 Meritor Product Safety and Compliance Committee determined issue to constitute a safety-related defect and decided to initiate a recall to address the condition. Meritor is not aware of any warranty claims, accidents, or injuries related to this condition.

Notification schedule

Dealer notification

AUG 19, 2024 - AUG 30, 2024

Owner notification

SEP 15, 2024 - SEP 15, 2024

Documents