2013 Hino NV8J Recall: Affected vehicles were modified to have a lower Gross Vehicle Weight…

The defect

Hino Motor Sales (Hino) is recalling certain model year 2013 NV8J vehicles manufactured November 13, 2012, through February 8, 2013. The affected vehicles were modified to have a lower Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), however the vehicle documentation shows the full GVWR. As such, the information on the documents does not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Part 567 "Certification."

The risk

An operator relying on the documents to determine the truck's GVWR may load the vehicle beyond the actual weight rating, possibly resulting in tire or suspension failure, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix — what to do

Hino will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the documents, as necessary, free of charge. All of the owners have been notified as of January 29, 2014. Customers may contact Hino at 1-248-699-9330. Hino's number for this recall is M0270.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.