Triumph fined $1.4m in America

Triumph have been fined a total of $1.4million by the US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for reporting and communication failures surrounding a recall in 2014.

A statement from NHTSA explained: “The penalty stems from Triumph’s September 2014 recall of more than 1300 motorcycles for a defect that could reduce steering capability and increase the risk of a crash. In April, NHTSA began an investigation into whether Triumph had violated the requirement to report the defect in a timely manner, and into other potential violations, including failure to submit quarterly reports on recall completion rates; failure to supply copies of technical service bulletins; and failure to file early warning data reports on death and injury claims, warranty data and other information.

“Under a consent order issued to Triumph, the company must pay a $1.4 million cash penalty and must spend at least $500,000 meeting a series of requirements to improve its safety practices. An additional $1 million in penalties could become due if the company violates the consent order or if additional Safety Act violations emerge.”

NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said: “Today’s enforcement action penalises past violations, and it promotes the proactive safety culture manufacturers must adopt if they are to reduce safety defects.”