- Vehicles
- 9
- Built between
- Jan 2013 – Oct 2015
- Models
- 5
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 8 May 2017
- Repaired
- 22%
- Unrepaired
- 7
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between January 2013 and October 2015. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2014 KME Predator AerialBuilt August 2013 to August 2013
- 2014 KME Predator PumperBuilt November 2013 to November 2013
- 2013-2014 KME Predator SS AerialBuilt February 2013 to October 2013
- 2013-2016 KME Predator SS PumperBuilt January 2013 to October 2015
- 2014 KME Predator TDABuilt January 2014 to January 2014
Repair progress
7 of 9 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q3 2018.
22% repaired — 2 of 9 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
Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp. (KME) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Predator SS Aerial, 2013-2016 Predator SS Pumper, 2014 Predator Aerial, Predator Pumper, and Predator Pumper TDA trucks. The ball joints on the independent front suspension (IFS) modules can loosen and separate, leading to a partial loss of steering.
What could happen
A separated ball joint can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
What gets fixed
KME will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, clean and secure the ball joint free of charge. The recall began on May 8, 2017.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJanuary 2013 to October 2015
- Recall reported to NHTSA31 March 2017
- Owners notified8 May 2017
- Latest repair reportQ3 2018 — 22% 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 31 March 2017.
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 KME customer service at 1-570-669-5577.
Official source
- Recalling manufacturer
- Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp.
- 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.