NHTSA vehicle safety data
1997 Smeal Aerial Recalls & Complaints
The 1997 Smeal Aerial has 1 NHTSA recall campaign on file as of October 21, 2026. try.vin has no NHTSA owner complaints on file for the 1997 Smeal Aerial. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Smeal dealer.
NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 1997 Smeal Aerial. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
Movable Ladder Guardrail may Bend
NHTSA #16V887000 · Equipment · NHTSA notice
Reported December 9, 2016 · Smeal Fire Apparatus Co., Inc.
Potentially affected: 216 vehicles
Repair completion: 47.69% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated October 21, 2026)
Owners notified January 11, 2017 · Vehicles built January 1, 1997 – November 30, 2016 (per NHTSA)
Defect description
Smeal Fire Apparatus Co., Inc. (Smeal) is recalling certain model year 1997-2016 Rear Mount Aerial Platform Apparatus emergency vehicles manufactured January 1, 1997, to November 30, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with a movable ladder access guardrail that may bend or break under heavy loads.
Safety consequence
A guardrail that bends or breaks under load can increase the risk of injury.
Manufacturer remedy
Smeal will notify owners, and dealers will add a support to the opposite side of the guardrail, free of charge. The recall began on January 11, 2017. Owners may contact Smeal customer service at 1-877-415-8628.
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.
Other Smeal Aerial model years
Check your 1997 Smeal Aerial VIN
Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Smeal Aerial at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
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