ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, March 13, 1990                   TAG: 9003133046
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Tammy Poole
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium


LOTTERY WINNERS USUALLY CHOOSE A BENEFICIARY

Q: When a person who has won a sum of money in the Virginia lottery dies, does the uncollected amount pass to his estate or does it return to the state? I've heard that the winnings cease with the death of the winner. - Mildred Roland, Roanoke

A: Winners are asked to fill out a beneficiary form. If they choose not to, the money reverts back to the state, according to the Virginia State Lottery office in Richmond.

Tambourines recalled

More than 20,000 tambourines sold natiowide as a novelty promotion item are being recalled because of sharp points and small parts that could cause injuries to children, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said recently.

The orange and white tambourines have a red, black, yellow and gray picture of "Chuck E. Cheese" and were sold since 1987 at pizza restaurants under that name and at Showbiz Pizza Restaurants.

Consumers can return the tambourines to the store where they were purchased for a full refund.

Auto recalls

BMW is recalling 62,000 cars to fix a faulty seat belt, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.

The problem has been detected in 525i, 535i, 735iL and 750iL cars from the 1989 and 1990 model years, the agency said in its monthly report of automobile defect investigations.

The agency also reported recalls of nearly 600,000 child safety seats and 213 Chevrolet Corvettes and said it had begun eight investigations of possible defects in other vehicles.

In the BMW cars, the center arm rest sometimes comes in contact with the front seat belt buckle and prevents it from latching. It gives the driver or passenger the impression that the belt is secured when in fact it's not, and in the event of a crash it wouldn't be secure.

The company will begin notifying owners March 2.

Also being recalled are 595,127 Century brand child restraint and carrying seats, model 580. The seats work satisfactorily in automobiles, but the handle sometimes works loose when the seat is removed and carried by hand. The child can fall out of the seat when that happens.

The government has received 85 reports of loose handles and one injury.

General Motors recalled 213 Corvettes with LT5 engines from the 1990 model year after a company engineer discovered cracked fuel line ends that could cause leaks and engine fires. No fires have been reported.

The agency also reported the following new investigations, which could lead to recalls:

A probe of three complaints of breaking cables designed to hold spare tires in place underneath Dodge Caravans and Plymouth Voyagers. Affected are up to 1.2 million vehicles from the 1984 through 1988 model years.

Frame cracks or breaks in Dodge Ram trucks. There have been three complaints, one of which blamed the problem for cutting brake lines and causing an accident.

Rear suspension tie rod socket failures in 1984 through 1988 Chevrolet Corvettes. There have been three complaints, two accidents and one injury. About 180,000 of the cars are on the road.

Anti-lock brake failure in the 1989 Jeep Cherokee, the subject of three complaints, one alleging an accident and injury.

A missing steering shaft bolt in the 1990 Mitsubishi Montero, blamed for one accident with an injury.

Engine fires in 1985 through 1990 model school buses with Ford Motor Co. medium-duty truck chassis. Rubber hoses that connect emission control components are believed to be catching fire.

Floorboard cracks in the Ford Bronco, 1989 and 1990 models. There have been two complaints of cracks where the driver's seat is attached to the floorboard.

Power brake loss in Ford E250 and E350 vans. The problem is limited to about 7,500 vehicles with a particular alternator.

Quickline helps consumers get service, information and refunds of more than $25. Mail complaints, questions to Quickline, Roanoke Times & World-News, Box 2491, Roanoke name, address, phone number and photocopies of documents such as canceled checks, receipts or credit-card statements. Documents cannot be returned; complaints cannot be taken by phone. Questions not selected for use in the column will not be answered personally.



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