Spartan Motors USA: Service Brakes, Air
Spartan Motors USA reported this defect to federal regulators on Dec 26, 2018 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 138. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
Spartan Motors USA (Spartan) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Emergency Response Gladiator and Metro Star vehicles built into fire apparatus and equipped with tandem axles, drum brakes at the rear axles and Electronic Stability Control (ESC). Vehicles with this configuration may have a delay in their brake release, preventing them from complying with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 121, "Air Brake Systems."
The risk
A delay in the brakes releasing may hinder vehicle movement, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Spartan will notify owners, and dealers will re-route a portion of the brake system to bring the vehicle into compliance, free of charge. The recall began February 22, 2019. Owners may contact Spartan customer service at 1-800-543-5008. Spartan's number for this recall is 18038.
18 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Spartan Gladiator | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 Spartan Metrostar | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 Spartan Gladiator | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 Spartan Metrostar | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 Spartan Gladiator | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 Spartan Metrostar | 1 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 Spartan Gladiator | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 Spartan Metrostar | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 Spartan Gladiator | 0 | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 Spartan Metrostar | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 Spartan Gladiator | 2 | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 Spartan Metrostar | 0 | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 Spartan Gladiator | 0 | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 Spartan Metrostar | 0 | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 Spartan Gladiator | 0 | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 Spartan Metrostar | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 Spartan Gladiator | 0 | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 Spartan Metrostar | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 18V932000.
Full record for the 2019 Spartan Gladiator → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →