Another motor company has issued a recall over an auto part defect, potentially affecting numerous people in Louisiana. Harley-Davidson Motor Co. has voluntarily recalled thousands of motorcycles due to an auto part defect. At the heart of the recall is a problem with the assembly mounting screws for the motorcycles' license plates.

In the United States, almost 3,000 motorcycles have been recalled. Overseas, there are almost 7,000 affected. The recall is centered on the 2012 VRSCDX motorcycle and some 2013 models. The cycles were manufactured from June 2011 through the first day of Aug. 2012. International motorcycles that are affected were built through Aug. 23.

The problem seems to be caused by loose screws in the license plate mounting bracket. If the screws come undone, the license plate assembly could strike the tire. This could cause rotation of the license plate bracket, which could in turn affect the braking system. The company has stated they are unaware of any injuries or accidents due to the defect. They have a process in place for investigating safety issues and claim that there has to be a series of events that occur in sequence before the license plate defect becomes a safety concern.

Any Louisiana owner of an affected motorcycle who may have sustained an injury due to the auto part defect may have legal options available to them. When purchasing a luxury item like a Harley-Davidson, consumers should not have to worry about such safety issues. However, when a safety concern does come up, it should not be ignored, especially if there is a risk of injury.

Source: The Business Journal, "Harley-Davidson recalling nearly 7,000 motorcycles," Jeff Engel, Oct. 29, 2012