- Vehicles
- 26
- Built between
- Not published
- Models
- 3
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 7 January 2022
- Repaired
- 46%
- Unrepaired
- 14
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.
- 2021-2022 KME Predator Panther
- 2022 KME Predator SS
- 2022 KME redundant PREDATOR
Repair progress
14 of 26 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q4 2023.
46% repaired — 12 of 26 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 2022 Predator, Predator Panther and 2021-2022 Severe Service emergency vehicles. The rear axle drive pinion may fracture.
What could happen
A fractured drive pinion may contact the brake drop hose, and unintentionally engage the parking brake without detection or without the brake lights activating, increasing the risk of a crash.
What gets fixed
Meritor will inspect and replace the drive pinion, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2022.
Parts involved
- Rear Axle Carrier180 SeriesPinion Shaft
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 NHTSA19 November 2021
- Owners notified7 January 2022
- Latest repair reportQ4 2023 — 46% 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 November 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.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.