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NHTSA campaign 16V926000

2005–2016 KME Predator Aerial and 1 other KME model: power train recall

If the brakes engage, a rear wheel may lock up increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, the excessive heat caused may increase the risk of a fire.

critical 10 vehicles affected 90% reported repaired

What was reported

Source: manufacturer filing, 49 CFR Part 573
Problem Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp. (KME) is recalling certain model year 2005-2016 Predator SS Aerial vehicles manufactured September 18, 2004, June 20, 2008, to May 23, 2016, and 2009-2011 Predator Aerial vehicles manufactured March 6, 2009, to January 14, 2011. The affected vehicles have tandem rear axles with S-cam brakes that may engage without the brake pedal being pressed. Risk If the brakes engage, a rear wheel may lock up increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, the excessive heat caused may increase the risk of a fire. Fix KME will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten the S-cam bracket hardware, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on February 1, 2017. Owners may contact KME customer service at 1-800-235-3926.

Reported to NHTSA Dec 22, 2016 by Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp, owners notified Feb 1, 2017.

Which vehicles are covered

Source: NHTSA campaign 16V926000

Vehicles built Mar 6, 2009 to Jan 14, 2011 — a VIN outside that window is not part of this campaign even if the year, make and model match.

Model yearOn WhichTrim
2005 KME Predator Aerial
2009 KME Predator Aerial
2010 KME Predator Aerial
2011 KME Predator Aerial
2009 KME Predator SS Aerial
2010 KME Predator SS Aerial
2011 KME Predator SS Aerial
2012 KME Predator SS Aerial
2013 KME Predator SS Aerial
2014 KME Predator SS Aerial
2015 KME Predator SS Aerial
2016 KME Predator SS Aerial

None of the vehicles this campaign names has a page on WhichTrim: the catalogue covers the cars, trucks and SUVs the EPA certifies from 2016 on, and these vehicles fall outside it — older model years, or motorhomes, trailers, buses, motorcycles and chassis cabs the EPA does not rate. The campaign record above is complete as filed, and whether one specific vehicle is included is settled by its VIN. Other campaigns on vehicles without a page here →

How much of it has been fixed

Source: manufacturer quarterly report, 49 CFR 573.7
Reported repaired 90%

of the campaign

The final figure: the six quarters of reporting that 49 cfr 573.7 requires have closed.

This is the manufacturer's own cumulative count of vehicles it has inspected and repaired, divided by the vehicles the campaign covers. It files that count with NHTSA every quarter for six consecutive quarters, starting from the quarter in which owners were told a remedy was ready, and then the obligation ends — so a figure on an older campaign is where the count stopped, not where it stands today.

It rarely reaches 100%, and not because the work was not done. The same report asks manufacturers to count vehicles they could not reach at all — exported, stolen, scrapped, or simply never located — and those stay in the denominator. A low number means a lot of these vehicles are still out there unrepaired; it does not tell you which ones.

The federal paperwork

Source: nhtsa.gov

Filed documents

Check one specific vehicle

A recall applies to a build range, so year, make and model cannot settle it. NHTSA checks a VIN against the manufacturer's own list and tells you whether the repair is still outstanding on that vehicle.

NHTSA VIN recall lookup →

Campaign 16V926000

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Common questions

Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR Part 573

Does this recall repair cost anything?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to remedy a safety defect or a compliance failure at no charge, for vehicles up to 15 years old measured from the date of first sale. A dealer that asks you to pay for a recall repair is in the wrong.

How do I know whether my vehicle is included?

By VIN, not by model year. This campaign covers vehicles built Mar 6, 2009 to Jan 14, 2011. The manufacturer files a build range with NHTSA and only vehicles inside it are covered, so two identical-looking cars from the same year can differ. NHTSA's own lookup checks a VIN against the manufacturer's list.

What if the repair is not available yet?

It happens, and often. Manufacturers must notify owners when a defect is found even if the parts or the software are not ready, then notify them a second time once the remedy exists. The remedy filed for this campaign is described above.

What did the manufacturer say was wrong?

The problem, risk and fix quoted on this page are the manufacturer's own words as filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR Part 573. WhichTrim does not paraphrase them.

Who started this recall?

NHTSA's record credits the manufacturer. A recall can begin with the manufacturer's own testing, with a defect investigation, or with a compliance test against a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.