The problem
Vehicle description: fire trucks equipped with a drive axle suspension containing a spring beam with a thickness of 1.75". The spring beam in the suspension can fail causing the collapse of the drive axle suspension and allowing abrupt contact of the tires with the bodywork of the rear of the fire truck.
The risk
Abrupt impact with the rear tires may cause the vehicle to veer across the road and impact oncoming traffic, or cause the driver to loss control of the vehicle in their lane, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
The fix
Spartan will notify its customers and replace the spring beam with a heavy duty version which is 2" thick and replace the shock absorbers free of charge. Owner notification began september 24, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact spartan at 1-800-722-3025.
Contacts
Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).
What to do
- Check your VIN. Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls - it shows whether this recall applies to your vehicle and whether the repair has been done.
- Call a dealer. Any authorized Spartan dealer will do the repair free, whether or not you bought the vehicle there. Quote campaign 01V271000.
- Ask about parts and a loaner. If parts aren't available yet, ask what to do in the meantime.
- Keep your paperwork. If you paid for this repair before the recall, you may be able to get reimbursed - here's how.