Piaggio Group Americas, Inc. has issued a recall on the 2019-2020 MP3 500. Improper manufacturing of the brake lines could allow hydrogen gas to enter the brake fluid, reducing braking power.
According to the documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for Piaggio, the scooters are covered under the recall are 2019-2020 MP3 500 models, VIN ZAPTA10W4K5000270 through ZAPTA10X5L5000109 (non-sequential). There are 130 affected units in the US market.
After investigation of customer complaints of excessive brake lever travel after scooters have sat for a while, the protective zinc layer used for surface treatment of the brake pipe terminals was found to have an irregular surface. This allows hydrogen to remain inside the surface during the
treatment process that releases into the brake fluid, causing hydrogen to release inside
of the braking system.
To address this situation, Piaggio USA will perform a complete brake system flush at no charge to the customer. Recall number 20V-524 begins on September 23, 2020, at which point owners are invited to make an appointment with their Piaggio/Vespa dealer to have their brake fluid flushed.
Should they have any questions or concerns, owners of 2019-2020 Piaggio MP3 500s are welcome to contact the manufacturer’s North American customer service at 949-645-0030 to have their VIN verified. Customers can also reach out to the NHTSA via its hotline service that can be reached at 1-888-327-4236 or check online for further details at www.safercar.gov.
Three Wheels Good:
Source: NHTSA