The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: FIRE TRUCKS WITH OCCUPANT SIDE ENTRY DOORS. A DIFFICULTY IN LATCHING THE SIDE ENTRY DOORS TO THE FULL CLOSED POSITION, AND/OR, THE DOORS MAY RELEASE TO THE SECONDARY LATCH POSITION. ALSO LOOSE RIVETS CAN CAUSE THE LATCH CONTROL MECHANISM TO BIND NOT ALLOWING THE DOOR TO LATCH PROPERLY WHEN SHUT.
The risk
THE CAB DOOR COULD UNLATCH FROM ITS PRIMARY LATCH WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, ALLOWING THE DOOR TO OPEN UNASSISTED TO THE SECONDARY LATCH POSITION.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL REMOVE AND REPLACE THE LATCH AND ACTUATOR ON THE DOORS.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Spartan Advantage | 1996, 1997 |
| Spartan Baron | 1996, 1997 |
| Spartan Charger | 1996, 1997 |
| Spartan Diamond | 1996, 1997 |
| Spartan Gladiator | 1996, 1997 |
| Spartan LOW Profile Gladiator | 1996, 1997 |
| Spartan Metro Star | 1996, 1997 |
| Spartan Silent Night | 1996, 1997 |
Components: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
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 Advantage | 1996 | 0 | 3 |
| Spartan Advantage | 1997 | 0 | 3 |
| Spartan Baron | 1996 | 0 | 3 |
| Spartan Baron | 1997 | 0 | 3 |
| Spartan Charger | 1996 | 0 | 3 |
| Spartan Charger | 1997 | 0 | 3 |
| Spartan Diamond | 1996 | 0 | 3 |
| Spartan Diamond | 1997 | 0 | 2 |
| Spartan Gladiator | 1996 | 1 | 4 |
| Spartan Gladiator | 1997 | 0 | 4 |
| Spartan LOW Profile Gladiator | 1996 | 0 | 2 |
| Spartan LOW Profile Gladiator | 1997 | 0 | 3 |
| Spartan Metro Star | 1996 | 0 | 4 |
| Spartan Metro Star | 1997 | 0 | 5 |
| Spartan Silent Night | 1996 | 0 | 1 |
| Spartan Silent Night | 1997 | 0 | 1 |
Other latches/locks/linkages recalls in 1998
4 of the 367 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 1998 concerned the latches/locks/linkages; SPARTAN MOTORS, INC. filed 45 campaigns in all.
| 98V316000 14 Dec 1998 | MITSUBISHI CARIBBEAN |
| 98V160000 16 Jul 1998 | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC |
| 98V030000 25 Feb 1998 | AUTOMOBILI LAMBORGHINI |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 1998