- Vehicles
- 529
- Built between
- Jan 2016 – Apr 3019
- Models
- 14
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 29 August 2019
- Repaired
- 72%
- Unrepaired
- 138
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between January 2016 and April 3019. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2017-2019 KME Predator AerialBuilt June 2016 to April 2019
- 2017-2019 KME Predator Panther AerialBuilt June 2016 to April 2019
- 2016-2020 KME Predator Panther PumperBuilt January 2016 to July 2019
- 2017-2019 KME Predator Panther RescueBuilt July 2016 to June 2018
- 2017-2020 KME Predator Panther TankerBuilt May 2016 to April 3019
- 2017-2020 KME Predator PumperBuilt July 2016 to April 3019
- 2017-2019 KME Predator RescueBuilt July 2016 to August 2018
- 2017-2019 KME Predator SS AerialBuilt June 2016 to May 2019
- 2016-2020 KME Predator SS PumperBuilt April 2016 to June 2019
- 2017-2019 KME Predator SS RescueBuilt May 2016 to January 2019
- 2017 KME Predator SS TankerBuilt February 2017 to February 2017
- 2017-2019 KME Predator SS TDABuilt July 2016 to May 2019
- 2017-2019 KME Predator TankerBuilt October 2016 to September 2018
- 2017-2018 KME Predator TDABuilt January 2017 to June 2018
Repair progress
138 of 529 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q4 2020.
72% repaired — 381 of 529 reported
- Owners not reachable
- 10
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 2017-2019 Predator Rescue, SS Rescue, SS Aerial, Aerial, SS TDA and Tanker and Predator Panther Rescue and Aerial, 2016-2020 Predator Panther Pumper and Predator SS Pumper, 2017-2020 Predator Panther Tanker and Predator Pumper, 2017 Predator SS Tanker and 2017-2018 Predator TDA. In the event of a hydraulic system failure while raising or lowering the cab, the hydraulic velocity fuses may not activate and lock the cab in place to prevent the cab from quickly closing.
What could happen
If the velocity fuses do not activate and stop the cab from lowering, the cab may hit occupants working underneath, increasing the risk of an injury.
What gets fixed
KME will notify owners, and dealers will replace the velocity fuses for each cab lift cylinder, free of charge. The recall began August 29, 2019.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJanuary 2016 to April 3019
- Recall reported to NHTSA12 July 2019
- Owners notified29 August 2019
- Latest repair reportQ4 2020 — 72% 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 12 July 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.