- Vehicles
- 475
- Built between
- Jan 2008 – Nov 2018
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 29 March 2019
- Repaired
- 9%
- Unrepaired
- 431
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between January 2008 and November 2018. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2008-2018 Mertz Custom TrailerBuilt January 2008 to November 2018
Repair progress
431 of 475 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q2 2020.
9% repaired — 43 of 475 reported
- Owners not reachable
- 1
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
Mertz Manufacturing, LLC is recalling certain 2008-2018 custom trailers. Plastic junction connections may have been installed in the air brake circuits. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 121, "Air Brake Systems."
What could happen
If a plastic connector fails, a loss of service brakes will occur or the emergency brakes will activate unexpectedly. Either condition may increase the risk of a crash.
What gets fixed
Mertz has notified owners and will provide metal brake line connections to replace the plastic connections. The recall began March, 29, 2019.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJanuary 2008 to November 2018
- Recall reported to NHTSA11 March 2019
- Owners notified29 March 2019
- Latest repair reportQ2 2020 — 9% 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 11 March 2019.
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 Mertz customer service at 1-580-767-8404. Mertz's number for this recall is M18-098.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- M18-098
- Recalling manufacturer
- Mertz Manufacturing, LLC
- 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.