Equipment: mechanical: wrecker and wheel lift devices (Century Wrecker)
Vehicle equipment recall 88E-025. NHTSA received CENTURY WRECKER CORP.’s report on Nov 1, 1988.
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The short answer
NHTSA received CENTURY WRECKER CORP.’s report on Nov 1, 1988. Copied from NHTSA on Oct 20, 2026.
Every line below is in NHTSA’s own words, with its source beside it.
What’s wrong with it?
DUE TO THIS CONDITION A FATIGUE FRACTURE OF THE LATCHCOULD OCCUR WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. IF A VEHICLE WAS BEING TOWED IT COULD BEDROPPED AND RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
THE L BAR LATCH WAS OF LESSER STRENGTH THAN SPECIFIED.
NHTSA, Recalls flat file before 2010. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated daily.
- NHTSA’s part: Equipment: mechanical: wrecker and wheel lift devices.
What should you do?
ALL LATCHES WILL BE REPLACED ON AFFECTED WHEEL LIFT UNITS.
NHTSA, Recalls flat file before 2010. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated daily.
- How to reach the firm: SYSTEM: HYDRAULIC WHEEL LIFT UNIT.VEHICLE CATEGORY: WRECKER.
Which ones are recalled?
NHTSA counts 215 items potentially involved, across everything this recall names.
NHTSA, Recalls flat file before 2010. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated daily.
- Century Wrecker Century WreckerBuilt from Aug 1, 1988 to Sep 1, 1988
Who is recalling it?
- Made by CENTURY WRECKER CORP..
NHTSA, Recalls flat file before 2010. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated daily.
What the record doesn’t say
- NHTSA’s recall file doesn’t say whether anyone was hurt.
- Which ones, by part or lot: the recall’s report on NHTSA’s site gives them where the maker did; this file gives part numbers only where its maker listed them.
- How many have been returned or fixed isn’t in the notice.
Hearth Record wrote these lines.
Sources
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National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Recalls flat file before 2010 (FLAT_RCL_PRE_2010).
Released Oct 20, 2026 and checked Oct 20, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
Vehicle, car seat, tire and vehicle equipment recalls, owner complaints and crash ratings are from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Copied on Oct 20, 2026.