2021–2025 Altec AM Series Aerial Device and 1 other Altec model: electrical system recall
An engine that starts unexpectedly increases the risk of injury to anyone near the engine compartment during maintenance operations.
What was reported
Source: manufacturer filing, 49 CFR Part 573Reported to NHTSA Feb 6, 2026 by Altec Industries, Inc, owners notified Mar 27, 2026.
Which vehicles are covered
Source: NHTSA campaign 26V071000Vehicles built from Jul 16, 2021 onward — a VIN outside that window is not part of this campaign even if the year, make and model match.
| Model year | On WhichTrim |
|---|---|
| 2021 Altec AM Series Aerial Device | — |
| 2022 Altec AM Series Aerial Device | — |
| 2023 Altec AM Series Aerial Device | — |
| 2024 Altec AM Series Aerial Device | — |
| 2025 Altec AM Series Aerial Device | — |
| 2021 Altec Digger Derrick | — |
| 2022 Altec Digger Derrick | — |
| 2023 Altec Digger Derrick | — |
| 2024 Altec Digger Derrick | — |
| 2025 Altec Digger Derrick | — |
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
2 quarters into the six-quarter reporting window, and still climbing.
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.govFiled documents
- Defect report PDF — The manufacturer's own filing to NHTSA describing the defect, the risk and the affected build range.
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 26V071000 · the manufacturer calls it CSN-3281
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.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR Part 573Is CSN-3281 the same recall as 26V071000?
Yes. CSN-3281 is the number Altec Industries, Inc uses for this campaign in its own paperwork and in the letter it sends owners. 26V071000 is the number NHTSA files it under. One recall, two references — dealers and service departments generally quote the manufacturer's.
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 from Jul 16, 2021 onward. 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.