The Recall Desk
HighNHTSA·14V455000·Announced 2014-07-25

KME Fire Fighting Vehicles Recalled for Seat Belt Latch Defect

Kovatch is recalling 2013-2014 KME Panther and Predator fire fighting vehicles because seat belt buckles may fail to release, hindering emergency egress.

What this means for you

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a safety-critical component (seat belts) that could hinder emergency egress and increase injury risk, but the source text does not report any actual injuries or fatalities, fitting the 'High' criteria for risk-of-harm products where injury has not yet been reported.

Plain-English summary

Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp. is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 KME Panther and 2014 Predator fire fighting vehicles manufactured between October 2013 and March 2014. These vehicles are equipped with IMMI-brand L9 seat belt buckles that may fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."

The defect involves the latch plate becoming partially engaged with the buckle when the release button is pressed, making the seat belt difficult to unlatch. If the latch plate remains partially engaged, egress from the vehicle could be hindered, increasing the risk of injury in the event of an emergency.

Kovatch will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt buckle, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 24, 2015. Owners may contact Kovatch at 1-800-235-3926 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
KME PANTHER, PREDATOR
Brand
KME
Manufacturer
Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp.
Category
Vehicle — Fire Fighting Vehicles
Hazard
Affected units
10

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (2)

  • PANTHER
  • PREDATOR

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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