- Vehicles
- 138
- Built between
- Sep 2018 – Oct 2018
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 22 February 2019
- Repaired
- 37%
- Unrepaired
- 57
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between September 2018 and October 2018. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2011-2019 Spartan GladiatorBuilt September 2018 to October 2018
- 2011-2019 Spartan MetrostarBuilt September 2018 to October 2018
Repair progress
57 of 138 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q2 2020.
37% repaired — 51 of 138 reported
- Scrapped or exported
- 30
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
Spartan Motors USA (Spartan) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Emergency Response Gladiator and Metro Star vehicles built into fire apparatus and equipped with tandem axles, drum brakes at the rear axles and Electronic Stability Control (ESC). Vehicles with this configuration may have a delay in their brake release, preventing them from complying with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 121, "Air Brake Systems."
What could happen
A delay in the brakes releasing may hinder vehicle movement, increasing the risk of a crash.
What gets fixed
Spartan will notify owners, and dealers will re-route a portion of the brake system to bring the vehicle into compliance, free of charge. The recall began February 22, 2019.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtSeptember 2018 to October 2018
- Recall reported to NHTSA26 December 2018
- Owners notified22 February 2019
- Latest repair reportQ2 2020 — 37% 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 26 December 2018.
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 Spartan customer service at 1-800-543-5008. Spartan's number for this recall is 18038.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- 18038
- Recalling manufacturer
- Spartan Motors USA
- Safety standard
- FMVSS 121
- 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.