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.
Remedy & full details
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.
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.
Complaint volume
Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.
What owners reported happened
0Crashes
0Fires
0Injuries
0Deaths
Across 2 complaints. Severity Index 0.00.
Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.
What owners report most
Suspension:Rear:Springs:Leaf Spring Assembly:Leaf — 2 reports
What to do
Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.
Other model years
1996
Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.
Questions
Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?
Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.
Do I pay for recall repairs?
No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.
Why are there complaints but no recalls?
Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.
From the same data desk
Independent sites, same maintainer, same open-data standards.