By JULIE MIDDLETON
Seventy-four New Zealand-new Isuzu Trooper vehicles are being recalled. Their accelerators can stay stuck down after being released, making them a crash risk.
Trooper sports utility vehicles manufactured between 1992 and 1995 are affected.
According to the website of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the United
States, "the accelerator cable can stick so that the engine speed will not immediately decrease upon release of the accelerator pedal.
"This can cause the accelerator throttle cable to delay ... vehicle speed reduction for several seconds after the accelerator pedal is released, which in turn, can lead to a crash."
The agency does not say whether any actual accidents or injuries have been linked to the problem, but worldwide, Japan's Isuzu Motors Ltd is recalling 72,905 Troopers.
Holden New Zealand spokesman Albert van Ham, whose company owns the Isuzu franchise here, says that 74 Troopers have been sold new in New Zealand.
The company has contact details for each owner and will contact them next week. Owners will be invited to take their cars to Holden dealers for repair, which involves replacement of the throttle cable rubber boot.
Mr van Ham says the repair is a 10-minute operation and that there is little risk to owners in the meantime.
"I understand that the vehicle is OK to drive - it's a very minor repair."
However, he says that Troopers bought second-hand in New Zealand are not covered by free repairs. Those owners need to contact the dealers from whom they purchased the vehicle.
