- Vehicles
- 590
- Built between
- Jan 2013 – Feb 2015
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 8 April 2015
- Repaired
- 61%
- Unrepaired
- 233
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between January 2013 and February 2015. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2013-2015 Charles Machine Ditch Witch T18Built January 2013 to February 2015
Repair progress
233 of 590 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q3 2016.
61% repaired — 357 of 590 reported
Manufacturers file these figures with NHTSA each quarter. Vehicles the manufacturer could not trace, or that have been scrapped or exported, are counted separately and are not included in the unrepaired figure.
What the defect is
Charles Machine Works Inc (Charles Machine) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ditch Witch T18 tandem axle trailers manufactured January 1, 2013, to February 15, 2015, and with or without vacuum excavators mounted on them. The wheel hubs of the affected trailers may have incorrect bearing pre-loads which can cause the trailer wheels to lock up.
What could happen
A trailer wheel lock up would increase the risk of a crash.
What gets fixed
Charles Machine will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the axles, and replace the bearings, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 8, 2015.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJanuary 2013 to February 2015
- Recall reported to NHTSA18 March 2015
- Owners notified8 April 2015
- Latest repair reportQ3 2016 — 61% repaired
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 18 March 2015.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
Owners may contact Charles Machine customer service at 1-800-654-6481. Charles Machine's number for this recall is ID #0377453.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- ID #0377453
- Recalling manufacturer
- Charles Machine Works Inc
- Recall initiated by
- MFR
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.