- Vehicles
- 820
- Built between
- Apr 1996 – Mar 1997
- Models
- 7
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 17 June 1998
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between April 1996 and March 1997. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1996-1997 Ditch Witch S5ABuilt April 1996 to March 1997
- 1996-1997 Ditch Witch S5A1Built April 1996 to March 1997
- 1996-1997 Ditch Witch S5A2Built April 1996 to March 1997
- 1996-1997 Ditch Witch T12AEBuilt April 1996 to March 1997
- 1996-1997 Ditch Witch T14AEBuilt April 1996 to March 1997
- 1996-1997 Ditch Witch T14AHBuilt April 1996 to March 1997
- 1996-1997 Ditch Witch T14AJTBuilt April 1996 to March 1997
What the defect is
Vehicle description: trailers equipped with wheels that are stamped with "T16X16K DOT 0496 rudeveca." the wheel center to rim welds have failed, causing the rim to break loose from the wheel center.
What could happen
This condition could cause a driver to lose control of the trailer increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THESE WHEELS.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtApril 1996 to March 1997
- Recall reported to NHTSA24 April 1998
- Owners notified17 June 1998
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 24 April 1998.
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.
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
Owner notification began june 17,1998.OWNERS who take their trailers to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact charles machine at 1-580-336-3591.ALSO contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
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.