2015–2021 KME Commercial Pumper and 11 other KME models: exterior lighting recall
The excessive brightness may affect the vision of other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
What was reported
Source: manufacturer filing, 49 CFR Part 573Reported to NHTSA Aug 18, 2020 by Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp, owners notified Oct 9, 2020.
What that means, in plain English
Source: WhichTrim's reading of the filing above — not NHTSA's wordingExcessively bright tail/stop/turn lights may impair other drivers' vision but the defect does not directly cause a crash or disable a safety system on the subject vehicle; it degrades a safety-related lighting standard without a direct crash mechanism beyond the boilerplate risk language.
Written for us by a language model from the manufacturer's filed text, which is quoted in full above. Where the two differ, the filing is the record and this is only our summary of it.
Which vehicles are covered
Source: NHTSA campaign 20V487000| Model year | On WhichTrim |
|---|---|
| 2017 KME Commercial Pumper | — |
| 2018 KME Commercial Pumper | — |
| 2019 KME Commercial Pumper | — |
| 2020 KME Commercial Pumper | — |
| 2016 KME Commercial Rescue | — |
| 2018 KME Commercial Skid | — |
| 2015 KME Commercial Tanker | — |
| 2016 KME Commercial Tanker | — |
| 2017 KME Commercial Tanker | — |
| 2018 KME Commercial Tanker | — |
| 2019 KME Commercial Tanker | — |
| 2018 KME Commercial Wildland | — |
| 2019 KME Commercial Wildland | — |
| 2016 KME Predator Panther Aerial | — |
| 2018 KME Predator Panther Pumper | — |
| 2020 KME Predator Panther Tanker | — |
| 2018 KME Predator SS Aerial | — |
| 2019 KME Predator SS Aerial | — |
| 2020 KME Predator SS Aerial | — |
| 2017 KME Predator SS Chassis | — |
| 2018 KME Predator SS Pumper | — |
| 2019 KME Predator SS Pumper | — |
| 2020 KME Predator SS Pumper | — |
| 2021 KME Predator SS Pumper | — |
| 2017 KME Predator SS Rescue | — |
| 2018 KME Predator SS Rescue | — |
| 2019 KME Predator SS Rescue | — |
| 2020 KME Predator SS Rescue | — |
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 573.7of 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.govCheck one specific vehicle
A recall applies to a build range, so year, make and model cannot settle it. Type the VIN and the WhichTrim recall report checks this campaign’s build window and engine against it.
Campaign 20V487000
Own one, or run a fleet? Recall Watch checks each VIN against every new NHTSA campaign and emails you when one lands, this one's expansions included. Or take a free one-line alert by model year.
A recall covers a build range. Only your VIN settles it.
Check it with the WhichTrim recall report now, or have us check it every night and email you when something new is filed.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR Part 573Does 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. 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.