KME Suspension: Torque Arm

Kme is recalling about 88 vehicles over a problem with the suspension. Broken welds may cause the mounts to separate from the axle, resulting in loss of control of the vehicle, and increasing the risk of a crash.

Campaign
21V097000
Manufacturer
Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp.
Reported
19 February 2021
Vehicles
88
Built between
Not published
Models
6
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
9 April 2021
Repaired
36%
Unrepaired
55

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.

  • 2017 KME Predator
  • 2014-2020 KME Predator Panther Pumper
  • 2013-2017 KME Predator Pumper
  • 2014 KME Predator Rescue
  • 2013-2020 KME Predator SS Pumper
  • 2017-2018 KME Predator SS Rescue

Repair progress

55 of 88 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q3 2023.

36% repaired — 32 of 88 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

Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp. (KME) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Predator SS Rescue, 2017 Predator Emergency Tractor, 2014-2020 Predator Panther Pumper, 2013-2017 Predator Pumper, 2014 Predator Rescue, and 2013-2020 Predator SS Pumper vehicles. The welds that attach the suspension mounts and torque rod mounts to the rear axle may have been insufficiently welded, possibly causing the welds to break.

What could happen

Broken welds may cause the mounts to separate from the axle, resulting in loss of control of the vehicle, and increasing the risk of a crash.

What gets fixed

KME will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the welds, and repair any defects found, free of charge. The recall began April 9, 2021.

Parts involved

  • Suspension, Rear083942VSUSPENSION, REAR, NEWAY ADZ-127-10
  • Suspension, Rear083942V001SUSPENSION, REAR, NEWAY ADZ-124-10
  • Suspension, Rear083942V002SUSPENSION, REAR, AIR NEWAY ADZ-124-10
  • Suspension, Rear083942V003SUSPENSION, REAR, NEWAY ADZ-124-10, 4X4
  • Suspension, Rear083942V004REAR SUSPENSION, NEWAY ADZ-124
  • Suspension, Rear083942V005SUSPENSION, REAR, NEWAY ADZ-254
  • Suspension, Rear083942V006SUSPENSION, REAR AXLE, 27,000#, NEWAY AD
  • Suspension, Rear083942V007SUSPENSION, REAR AXLE, 27,000#, NEWAY AD

Part numbers are as filed by the manufacturer and are listed for reference. Your dealer will confirm the correct part for your vehicle.

Timeline

  1. Recall reported to NHTSA19 February 2021
  2. Owners notified9 April 2021
  3. Latest repair reportQ3 2023 — 36% 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 19 February 2021.

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.

Same component

Same brand