News In Brief

Harvester didn't warn of tractor hazard, FTC finds

International Harvester broke the law by failing to warn consumers that it's tractors posed a safety hazard, the Federal Trade Commission ruled Thursday. The ruling stems from a 1980 commission complaint that the tractors had a fault that could result in a stream of hot fuel being ejected through a loosened gas cap, posing the danger of serious fires.

The commission complained that the company knew about the problem as early as 1963 but did not take any action until 1980, when it sent out warnings.