The defect
Spartan Motors USA (Spartan) is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 ER Gladiator and MetroStar vehicles manufactured January 5, 2010, to January 19, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the power steering fluid may overheat and cause the steering to unexpectedly lock during steering maneuvers.
The risk
If the steering locks, there could be a loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Spartan will notify owners, and dealers will install a cooler to prevent the steering fluid from overheating, free of charge. An interim notice was sent to owners on December 17, 2015. The recall began on November 7, 2016. Owners may contact Spartan customer service at 1-800-543-4277.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Spartan Gladiator | 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 |
Components: STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:POWER STEERING FLUID | STEERING
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spartan Gladiator | 2009 | 0 | 23 |
| Spartan Gladiator | 2010 | 0 | 29 |
| Spartan Gladiator | 2011 | 0 | 26 |
| Spartan Gladiator | 2012 | 0 | 24 |
| Spartan Gladiator | 2013 | 0 | 29 |
| Spartan Gladiator | 2014 | 2 | 28 |
Other steering recalls in 2015
41 of the 863 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2015 concerned the steering; Spartan Motors USA filed 55 campaigns in all.
| 15V887000 30 Dec 2015 | BMW of North America, LLC |
| 15V885000 29 Dec 2015 | Temsa Global Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S. |
| 15V878000 23 Dec 2015 | Chrysler (FCA US LLC) |
| 15V845000 16 Dec 2015 | Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. |
| 15V829000 9 Dec 2015 | Newmar Corporation |
| 15V703000 26 Oct 2015 | Terex Advance |
| 15V679000 20 Oct 2015 | Fontaine Modification |
| 15V660000 15 Oct 2015 | BMW of North America, LLC |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2015