[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 66 (Thursday, April 5, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18143-18144]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-8311]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

[USCG-2001-9284]


Coast Guard Advisory to Recreational Boaters on Fuel Leak Hazard 
Involving Evinrude FICHT 200 Horsepower and 225 Horsepower Outboard 
Motors

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Consumer advisory notice.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to alert owners and operators of 
boats powered by 1999 or 2000 Evinrude FICHT 200 horsepower and 225 
horsepower outboard motors about a fuel leak problem that causes a 
potential fire and explosion hazard. There is evidence that fuel leaks 
affecting these outboard models have resulted in fires and explosions 
that, in some cases, caused personal injuries. The Coast Guard advises 
owners and operators to cease using 1999 or 2000 Evinrude FICHT 200 
horsepower and 225 horsepower outboard motors until such time as the 
defect is corrected. Normally, the Coast Guard would notify the 
Outboard Motor Company (OMC), the Evinrude outboard manufacturer, of 
the need to conduct a safety recall of the defective motors. However, 
OMC filed for bankruptcy in December 2000, and the Evinrude engine line 
has since been purchased by Bombardier Motor Corporation of America. 
Bombardier has accepted responsibility for the recall and will be 
notifying affected outboard owners of the recall in the near future.

[[Page 18144]]

Bombardier reports that several thousand of the affected outboards have 
previously been corrected by OMC through the installation of an upgrade 
kit. The Coast Guard warns all boaters that there is a serious danger 
of a fire or explosion with continued use of uncorrected 1999 and 2000 
model year Evinrude FICHT 200 horsepower and 225 horsepower outboard 
motors that could result in serious injury or death.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Philip Cappel, Chief, Recreational 
Boating Product Assurance Division, Commandant (G-OPB-3), 2100 Second 
Street SW., Washington, DC 20593, telephone (202) 267-0988, e-mail 
[email protected]. The docket, USCG-2001-9284, is available for 
inspection or copying at the Docket Management Facility, U.S. 
Department of Transportation, room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street SW., 
Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays. You may also find this docket on the Internet 
at http://dms.dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Coast Guard recently learned that in 
November 2000 the Outboard Marine Corporation sent a ``service upgrade 
bulletin'' to its Evinrude outboard motor dealers concerning the 
company's 1999 and 2000 model year 200 and 225 horsepower models. The 
upgrade was intended to ``reduce the likelihood of fuel leaks, which 
can be a potentially hazardous condition.'' After further 
investigation, the Coast Guard learned that between July 1999 and 
December 2000 OMC had received reports of an unacceptably high number 
of fires and explosions involving the company's 1999 and 2000 model 
year Evinrude FICHT 200 and 225 horsepower models.
    The Coast Guard has the legal authority to require manufacturers of 
boats and engines to notify owners and to recall and repair or replace 
products that contain defects which create a substantial risk of 
personal injury to the public, or which fail to comply with an 
applicable U.S. Coast Guard safety standard. The Coast Guard has 
determined that the problems involving the 1999 and 2000 model year 
Evinrude FICHT 200 and 225 horsepower motors constitute a defect that 
creates a substantial risk of injury to the public. Under normal 
circumstances, the Coast Guard would notify OMC that a safety recall 
was necessary and would pursue the correction of this defect via OMC. 
However, OMC filed for bankruptcy in federal court in December 2000 and 
has since sold its Evinrude and Johnson outboard engine lines to 
Bombardier Motor Corporation of America. Bombardier has agreed to 
accept responsibility for this recall and will be notifying affected 
Evinrude owners in the near future. Bombardier reports that they intend 
to distribute upgrade kits to dealers that will correct this problem 
and that several thousand of the affected outboards have previously 
been corrected by OMC through the installation of these upgrade kits.
    The Coast Guard warns all boaters that there is a serious danger of 
a fire or explosion with continued use of uncorrected 1999 and 2000 
model year Evinrude FICHT 200 horsepower and 225 horsepower outboard 
motors that could result in serious injury or death.

    Authority: 46 U.S.C. 4310(e).

    Dated: March 29, 2001.
Kenneth T. Venuto,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Director of Operations Policy.
[FR Doc. 01-8311 Filed 4-4-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-15-U