NHTSA campaign 14V455000 · Manufacturer campaign 2014-SR01
KME Recall 14V-455: Seat Belt may be Difficult to Unlatch/FMVSS 209
- Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation
NHTSA recall 14V455000 (Manufacturer campaign 2014-SR01) was reported by Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp. on July 25, 2014, with 10 vehicles potentially affected (per NHTSA). NHTSA's record lists the KME Panther and KME Predator for model years 2013–2014. Owners were notified on August 24, 2015, per NHTSA.
Updated daily from NHTSA's recall files
Is my vehicle included?
This page lists, by model year, the vehicles NHTSA's recall record names for campaign 14V455000 in the model years try.vin imports (1995 and later); NHTSA's own record can list more. A model year on the list doesn't mean every vehicle of that year is included, and some may already have been repaired.
To see whether a specific vehicle is included and still needs the repair, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Free VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Key facts
- NHTSA campaign
- 14V455000 (also written 14V-455 or 14V455)
- Filed by
- Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp.
- Manufacturer campaign number
- 2014-SR01
- Report received
- Potentially affected
- 10 vehicles (per NHTSA)
- Component
- Seat Belts
- Owners notified
- Safety standard
- FMVSS 209
Repair completion: 100% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated October 21, 2026)
NHTSA cautions against comparing completion rates across recalls or manufacturers. How try.vin reads them.
Vehicles listed for this recall
NHTSA's recall record lists these vehicles for recall 14V455000. try.vin imports model years 1995 and later, so NHTSA's own list can be longer. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to it. Build dates are NHTSA's range for a model year (per NHTSA); a vehicle built in that range is not necessarily included.
KME
KME Panther
KME Predator
NHTSA's recall notice
As NHTSA's recall record states it for campaign 14V455000.
Defect description
Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp. (Kovatch) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Predator and 2014 Panther fire fighting vehicles manufactured October 2013 to March 2014, and equipped with IMMI-brand L9 seat belt buckles. When the button is pressed to release the seat belt, the latch plate can become partially engaged with the buckle, making the seat belt difficult to unlatch. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."
Safety consequence
If the latch plate remains partially engaged after the button is pressed, egress from the vehicle could be hindered which would increase the risk of injury in the event of an emergency.
Manufacturer remedy
Kovatch will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt buckle, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 24, 2015. Owners may contact Kovatch at 1-800-235-3926. Kovatch's number for this campaign is 2014-SR01.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Sources
Official NHTSA notice for recall 14V455000
Campaign details come from NHTSA's recall files, which try.vin imports once a day. The plain-language subject and the completion rate come from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Recalls Data dataset. How try.vin reads recall data.