- Vehicles
- 50
- Built between
- Not published
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 11 November 2021
- Repaired
- 20%
- Unrepaired
- 40
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.
- 2005-2021 Mclaughlin Vacuum Excavator
- 2021 Vermeer Vacuum Excavator
Repair progress
40 of 50 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q3 2023.
20% repaired — 10 of 50 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
Vermeer Manufacturing Company (Vermeer) is recalling certain 2005-2021 McLaughlin and 2021 Vermeer vacuum excavators. Please see the 573 report for all affected models. The rear clearance lamps and reflex reflectors, and the rear-side clearance lamps and reflex reflectors are not sufficient. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
What could happen
Without the proper reflective equipment, the vacuum excavators may not be visible to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
What gets fixed
Dealers will install a field remedy kit, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on November 11, 2021.
Parts involved
- Clearance lamps, reflex reflectors8097358Red rear clearance lamps and reflex reflectors, red rear side clearance lamps and reflex reflectors
Part numbers are as filed by the manufacturer and are listed for reference. Your dealer will confirm the correct part for your vehicle.
Timeline
- Recall reported to NHTSA16 September 2021
- Owners notified11 November 2021
- Latest repair reportQ3 2023 — 20% 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 16 September 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 Vermeer's customer service at 1-800-829-0051 ext. 7060. Vermeer's number for this recall is VMV0013.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- VMV0013
- Recalling manufacturer
- Vermeer Manufacturing Company
- Safety standard
- FMVSS 108
- 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.nhtsa.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.