Structural Composites: Fuel System, Other › Storage › Tank Assembly › Pressure Relief Devices
Structural Composites reported this defect to federal regulators on May 9, 1995 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 15. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
UPON EXPOSURE TO IMPURITIES IN THE NATURAL GAS FUEL IN COLD WEATHER, AN INTERNAL O-RING ON THESE DEVICES CAN BLISTER DURING DECOMPRESSION AFTER "FAST-FILL" REFUELING RESULTING IN SEAL LEAKAGE.
The risk
INTERNAL DAMAGE TO THE O-RING SEAL COULD CAUSE A RELEASE OF CNG. IF CNG WERE RELEASED TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND AN IGNITION SOURCE WERE PRESENT, A FIRE COULD OCCUR.
The remedy
SCI WILL REPLACE RECALLED UNITS WITH NEW DEVICES THAT ARE NOT SUSCEPTIBLE TO O-RING DAMAGE FROM NON-METHANE COMPONENTS OF THE GAS SUPPLY WHEN THE DEVICES ARE DEVELOPED.
4 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 Sci Alt 506n | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 Sci Alt 584n | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 Sci Alt 619n | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 Sci Alt 620n | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 95E005002.
Full record for the 1994 Sci Alt 506n → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →