American Transportation Corp.: Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist › Hose, Piping, and Connections
American Transportation Corp. reported this defect to federal regulators on Mar 27, 1997 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 1,473. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
THE LOW PRESSURE POWER STEERING RETURN HOSE CAN EITHER BURST OR BECOME DISCONNECTED DUE TO INCREASED FLUID VISCOSITY IN FRIGID TEMPERATURES.
The risk
IF THE LOW PRESSURE RETURN HOSE BURSTS OR SEPARATES, THERE WOULD BE A LOSS OF POWER ASSIST TO THE STEERING AND A REDUCTION IN POWER ASSIST TO THE BRAKES ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HYDRAULIC BRAKES.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE RETURN HOSES WITH A HOSE THAT CAN TOLERATE HIGHER PRESSURES, USE IMPROVED CLAMPS AND A POWER STEERING FLUID THAT IS LESS VISCOUS IN FRIGID TEMPERATURES.
9 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 Amtran RC | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 Amtran RE | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 Amtran RS | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 Amtran RC | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 Amtran RE | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 Amtran RS | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 Amtran RC | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 Amtran RE | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 Amtran RS | 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 97V048000.
Full record for the 1997 Amtran RC → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →