NHTSA vehicle safety data
2022 KME Panther Recalls & Complaints
The 2022 KME Panther has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns on file as of October 21, 2026. try.vin has no NHTSA owner complaints on file for the 2022 KME Panther. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized KME dealer.
NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2022 KME Panther. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
Delay in Park Brake Engagement/FMVSS 121
NHTSA #23V798000 · Parking Brake · NHTSA notice
Reported November 26, 2023 · Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp.
Potentially affected: 44 vehicles
Repair completion: 6.82% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated October 21, 2026)
Owners notified January 24, 2024
Defect description
Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp. (KME) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Predator, Panther, and Severe Service fire trucks. A defect in the inversion valve may delay park brake engagement, which could allow the vehicle to move unintentionally. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 121, "Air Brake Systems."
Safety consequence
Unintentional vehicle movement can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Manufacturer remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the inversion valves as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 24, 2024. Owners may contact KME customer service at 1-800-235-3928.
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.nhtsa.gov.
Delay in Park Brake Engagement/FMVSS 121
NHTSA #23V631000 · Parking Brake · NHTSA notice
Reported September 12, 2023 · Spartan Fire, LLC
Potentially affected: 660 vehicles
Repair completion: 58.99% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated October 21, 2026)
Manufacturer campaign 23017 · Owners notified November 2, 2023
Defect description
Spartan Fire, LLC (Spartan Fire) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Gladiator, Metro Star, 2022-2024 FC-94, 2022-2023 KME Panther, and 2023 KME Predator emergency vehicles. A defect in the inversion valve may delay park brake engagement, which could allow the vehicle to move unintentionally. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 121, "Air Brake Systems."
Safety consequence
Unintentional vehicle movement can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Manufacturer remedy
Dealers will replace the inversion valve, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 2, 2023. Owners may contact Spartan Fire customer service at 1-800-867-6478. Spartan Fire's number for this recall is 23017.
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.nhtsa.gov.
Fire Truck Water Pump May Fail
NHTSA #23V156000 · Power Train — Automatic Transmission — Control Module (TCM/PCM/TECM) · NHTSA notice
Reported March 23, 2023 · Spartan Fire, LLC
Potentially affected: 166 vehicles
Repair completion: 87.16% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated October 21, 2026)
Manufacturer campaign 23007 · Owners notified April 27, 2023
Defect description
Spartan Fire LLC (Spartan Fire) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Gladiator, Metro Star, FC-94 and KME Panther firetrucks. After the vehicle is reversed, the transmission control module (TCM) may fail to achieve the 4th gear lockup needed to initiate the water pump.
Safety consequence
A firetruck that is unable to pump water increases the risk of injury during a fire.
Manufacturer remedy
Dealers will update the TCM software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 27, 2023. Owners may contact Spartan Fire customer service at 1-517-543-6400. Spartan Fire's number for this recall is 23007.
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.nhtsa.gov.
Tie Rod Clamp Failure
NHTSA #22V871000 · Steering — Linkages — Tie Rod Assembly · NHTSA notice
Reported November 23, 2022 · Marion Body Works Inc.
Potentially affected: 6 vehicles
Repair completion: 0% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated October 21, 2026)
Manufacturer campaign 22V-778 · Owners notified December 13, 2022
Defect description
Marion Body Works Inc. (Marion) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Spartan Fire Gladiator, MetroStar, FC-94 and KME Panther fire trucks. The tie rod clamps may have been improperly heat-treated, causing them to fail and allowing the tie rods to separate.
Safety consequence
Tie rod separation can result in a sudden loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.
Manufacturer remedy
Dealers will replace both tie rod clamps, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on December 13, 2022. Owners may contact Marion's customer service at 1-715-754-5261. Marion's number for this recall is 22V-778.
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.nhtsa.gov.
Tie Rod Clamps Failure
NHTSA #22V778000 · Steering — Linkages — Tie Rod Assembly · NHTSA notice
Reported October 17, 2022 · Spartan Fire, LLC
Potentially affected: 225 vehicles
Repair completion: 55.8% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated October 21, 2026)
Manufacturer campaign 22007 · Owners notified December 2, 2022
Defect description
Spartan Fire, LLC (Spartan Fire) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Gladiator, MetroStar, FC-94, and KME Panther emergency vehicles. The tie rod clamps may have been improperly heat-treated, causing them to fail and allowing the tie rods to separate.
Safety consequence
Tie rod separation can result in a sudden loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.
Manufacturer remedy
Dealers will replace the tie rod clamps, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on December 2, 2022. Owners may contact Spartan Fire's customer service at 1-517-543-6400. Spartan Fire's number for this recall is 22007.
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.nhtsa.gov.
Other KME Panther model years
Check your 2022 KME Panther VIN
Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your KME Panther at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
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