Customer Notification Letter
August 2, 1996Re: Safety Recall # 96V-108
Dear Land Rover Defender Owner:
This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
Rover Group, Ltd., manufacturer of Land Rover vehicles, has determined that a noncompliance with the Consumer Product Safety Commission Battery Warning Label regulation, 16 CFR part 1500 exists for your vehicle. The battery warning label was omitted from all wet cell batteries supplied in 1993 through 1995 Land Rover Defender vehicles. The Consumer Product Safety Commission regulation requires that all motor vehicle batteries contain a label alerting people to the dangerous nature of lead/acid wet cell batteries with respect to explosion, acid bum, and poisoning hazards.
With respect to battery handling and safety, please be aware that batteries contain sulfuric acid which, if directly contacted, can cause blindness, severe burns or other injury. Eye protection should be worn when working in dose proximity to batteries. To prevent explosion, smoking, flames and sparks should be avoided in the presence of batteries. Batteries should always be kept out of reach of children. Batteries should not be tipped and vent caps should be kept tight.
For your convenience, we have enclosed the label to be affixed to your battery along with the relevant sections of the owners handbook which refer to battery handling and safety. Please follow the instructions regarding installation. If you do not wish to install the label yourself, you may take the vehicle and label to your Dealer who will be happy to install it for you free of charge. If you experience any difficulty in affixing the label, please contact one of our Owner Care Representatives at 1-800-637-6837.
While you may already be aware of the dangers present with lead/acid wet cell batteries, these labels provide valuable warnings for any subsequent vehicle owners and people/children who may come into contact with the battery after it's useful life has ended and it is removed from your vehicle. Because of this, we emphasize the need for you to have these labels installed on the battery in your vehicle.
If you are not able to have your vehicle repaired without charge and within a reasonable time, you may submit a complaint to the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C., 20590, or call the toll-free Auto Safety Hotline at 1-800-424-9393. (Washington, D.C. area residents may call ((202) 366-0123). You may also call our Owner Care Department or write to:
Land Rover North America, Inc.
4390 Parliament Place
Lanham, MD 20706
1-800-637-6837
Attn: Owner Care Department
Please note, if the vehicle to which this notice applies has been leased and you are the lessor, you should send a copy of this notice, with the attached label, to the lessee.
We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this recall, but trust that you understand the need to have this condition rectified.