- Vehicles
- 148
- Built between
- Nov 2011 – May 2019
- Models
- 9
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 23 May 2019
- Repaired
- 43%
- Unrepaired
- 84
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between November 2011 and May 2019. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2014-2019 KME Commercial PumperBuilt December 2014 to February 2019
- 2017 KME Commercial RescueBuilt September 2016 to September 2016
- 2015-2019 KME Commercial WildlandBuilt November 2014 to March 2019
- 2014-2019 KME Predator Panther PumperBuilt August 2018 to February 2019
- 2012-2019 KME Predator PumperBuilt November 2011 to January 2019
- 2018 KME Predator RescueBuilt March 2018 to March 2018
- 2014-2019 KME Predator SS PumperBuilt October 2013 to January 2019
- 2016 KME Predator SS Wildland
- 2015-2016 KME WildlandBuilt November 2014 to May 2019
Repair progress
84 of 148 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q3 2020.
43% repaired — 64 of 148 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 2017 Commercial Rescue, 2014-2019 Predator Panther Pumper, Commercial Pumper and Predator SS Pumper, 2012-2019 Predator Pumper, 2015-2019 Commercial Wildland, 2018 Predator Rescue and 2016 Predator SS Wildland vehicles. The lock for the gas springs that support the sliding, lift-up cover may be unintentionally disabled, preventing the lock from engaging.
What could happen
If the lock is not engaged, the sliding, lift-up cover may fall unexpectedly, increasing the risk of injury to personnel working under the cover.
What gets fixed
KME will notify owners, and dealers will replace the gas springs on the sliding, lift-up cover with new gas springs with an alternative locking mechanism or new gas springs without a locking mechanism and a separate stay arm, free of charge. The recall began May 23, 2019.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtNovember 2011 to May 2019
- Recall reported to NHTSA2 April 2019
- Owners notified23 May 2019
- Latest repair reportQ3 2020 — 43% 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 2 April 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 KME customer service at 1-800-235-3928.
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.