The defect
Mertz Manufacturing, LLC is recalling certain 2008-2018 custom trailers. Plastic junction connections may have been installed in the air brake circuits. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 121, "Air Brake Systems."
The risk
If a plastic connector fails, a loss of service brakes will occur or the emergency brakes will activate unexpectedly. Either condition may increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Mertz has notified owners and will provide metal brake line connections to replace the plastic connections. The recall began March, 29, 2019. Owners may contact Mertz customer service at 1-580-767-8404. Mertz's number for this recall is M18-098.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Mertz Custom Trailer | 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 |
Components: SERVICE BRAKES, AIR | PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL:AIR
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mertz Custom Trailer | 2008 | 0 | 1 |
| Mertz Custom Trailer | 2009 | 0 | 1 |
| Mertz Custom Trailer | 2010 | 0 | 1 |
| Mertz Custom Trailer | 2011 | 0 | 1 |
| Mertz Custom Trailer | 2012 | 0 | 1 |
| Mertz Custom Trailer | 2013 | 0 | 1 |
| Mertz Custom Trailer | 2014 | 0 | 1 |
| Mertz Custom Trailer | 2015 | 0 | 1 |
| Mertz Custom Trailer | 2016 | 0 | 1 |
| Mertz Custom Trailer | 2017 | 0 | 1 |
| Mertz Custom Trailer | 2018 | 0 | 1 |
Other parking brake recalls in 2019
6 of the 880 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2019 concerned the parking brake.
| 19V575000 5 Aug 2019 | Ford Motor Company |
| 19V275000 5 Apr 2019 | PACCAR Incorporated |
| 19V174000 6 Mar 2019 | Jayco, Inc. |
| 19V175000 5 Mar 2019 | Entegra Coach |
| 19V091000 15 Feb 2019 | Autocar, LLC |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2019