- Vehicles
- 796
- Built between
- Not published
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 25 June 2019
- Repaired
- 54%
- Unrepaired
- 365
Does this affect my vehicle?
The manufacturer did not publish a build-date range for this recall, so the model and year list below is the only way to tell whether your vehicle is covered.
- 2018-2019 Charles Machine Ditch Witch
Repair progress
365 of 796 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q3 2022.
54% repaired — 431 of 796 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 2018-2019 Ditch Witch VT9, VT12, VT14, VT17, VT20 and VT24 trailers. The brake wire terminals may have been improperly crimped, which can result in the trailer brakes failing to apply when commanded.
What could happen
If the trailer brakes do not apply as expected, the distance required to stop the trailer may be lengthened, increasing the risk of crash.
What gets fixed
Charles Machine has notified owners, and dealers will replace the brake terminals with a machine terminal, free of charge. The recall began June 25, 2019.
Timeline
- Recall reported to NHTSA21 June 2019
- Owners notified25 June 2019
- Latest repair reportQ3 2022 — 54% 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 21 June 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 Charles Machine customer service at 1-800-654-6481.
Official source
- 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.