The defect
Gratimax, LLC (Gratimax) is recalling certain 2013-2023 McElrath Trailers VX75 Xcel vacuum excavator trailers. The design of the rear impact guard resulted in the incorrect placement of the taillights. In addition, the guard may fail to prevent a vehicle from traveling under the trailer during a rear impact crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment" and 224, "Rear Impact Protection."
The risk
Incorrect placement of the taillights may reduce the visibility of the trailer, increasing the risk of a crash. During a crash, a vehicle that travels under the rear of the trailer increases the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will reposition the taillights and modify the rear impact guard, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2023. Owners may contact Gratimax customer service at 1-864-814-2220. Gratimax's number for this recall is 21434.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Mcelrath Trailers VX75 Xcel | 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 |
Components: STRUCTURE:BODY | EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mcelrath Trailers VX75 Xcel | 2013 | 0 | 1 |
| Mcelrath Trailers VX75 Xcel | 2014 | 0 | 1 |
| Mcelrath Trailers VX75 Xcel | 2015 | 0 | 1 |
| Mcelrath Trailers VX75 Xcel | 2016 | 0 | 1 |
| Mcelrath Trailers VX75 Xcel | 2017 | 0 | 1 |
| Mcelrath Trailers VX75 Xcel | 2018 | 0 | 1 |
| Mcelrath Trailers VX75 Xcel | 2019 | 0 | 1 |
| Mcelrath Trailers VX75 Xcel | 2020 | 0 | 1 |
| Mcelrath Trailers VX75 Xcel | 2021 | 0 | 1 |
| Mcelrath Trailers VX75 Xcel | 2022 | 0 | 1 |
| Mcelrath Trailers VX75 Xcel | 2023 | 0 | 1 |
Other structure recalls in 2023
80 of the 894 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2023 concerned the structure.
| 23V891000 22 Dec 2023 | Winnebago Towable |
| 23V874000 21 Dec 2023 | Daimler Vans USA, LLC |
| 23V869000 21 Dec 2023 | General Motors, LLC |
| 23V875000 21 Dec 2023 | Daimler Vans USA, LLC |
| 23V876000 21 Dec 2023 | Daimler Vans USA, LLC |
| 23V872000 21 Dec 2023 | Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC |
| 23V860000 19 Dec 2023 | Airstream, Inc. |
| 23V854000 15 Dec 2023 | Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2023