British automaker Jaguar Land Rover has issued a recall order for nearly 100,000 vehicles in North America, following a warning by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about brake safety. The majority of the affected cars, nearly 75,000 in number, are Range Rover SUVs, whose front brake hoses are at risk of rupturing. Another 25,000 Range Rovers may have improperly routed brake vacuum hoses.
Range Rovers manufactured between April 2005 and September 2012 are susceptible to the front brake hose issue. If either of the two hoses ruptures, the brakes lose fluid. According to NHTSA's notice, Jaguar Land Rover investigated the possibility of ruptures as far back as November 2010 after dealers reported bulging hoses, but no action was taken at the time as the issue was considered sporadic and no accidents were reported.
Last November, however, an accident involving a Range Rover was attributed to a ruptured brake hose, so the company reopened the investigation. Now, following NHTSA's recommendation, the affected SUVs will be fitted with new hoses for free.
The second warning, about brake vacuum hoses, applies to newer Range Rovers, built between August 2012 and January 2014. An improperly routed hose can create a hole and cause a loss of braking power. Dealers will examine the hoses and repair or reroute them as needed.
The same company was issued a third NHTSA notice for the recall of nearly 5,000 Jaguar XK grand tourers to repair a minor issue with parking lights.
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