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2005 Spartan K3 Recalls & Complaints

4

open safety recalls on record

Critical

22 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.00 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical09V455000

Engine And Engine Cooling

OIL LEAK MAY RESULT IN A FIRE HAZARD.

Remedy & full details

SPARTAN IS WORKING WITH CATERPILLAR TO REMEDY THESE VEHICLES. PLEASE SEE RECALL 09E-020. CATERPILLAR WILL INSPECT AND REPAIR THE NECESSARY COMPONENTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 7, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CATERPILLAR TOLL-FREE AT 1-800-447-4986 OR SPARTAN AT 1-800-543-4277 OPTION 1.

SPARTAN IS RECALLING 14 MODEL YEAR 2005 AND 2006 MOTORHOMES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN NOVEMBER 12, 2004 AND MARCH 1, 2006, EQUIPPED WITH CATERPILLAR C15 ENGINE. THE VARIABLE VALVE ACTUATION OIL LINE MAY RUB AGAINST THE P-CLIPS RETAINING THE OIL LINE, CAUSING AN OIL LEAK.

Critical06V413000

Engine And Engine Cooling

OIL LEAK COULD CAUSE A FIRE THAT MAY RESULT IN PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH.

Remedy & full details

CATERPILLAR IS CONDUCTING THE REMEDY FOR THIS CAMPAIGN (PLEASE SEE 05E078). THE VEHICLES WILL BE INSPECTED, THE VVA OIL LINE REPLACED, AND A RETENTION CLIP WILL BE INSTALLED TO PREVENT ANY DAMAGE FROM OCCURRING. THE RECALL BEGAN ONNOVEMBER 6, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CATERPILLAR AT 1-877-777-3126, SPARTAN AT 517-543-6400 OR FLEETWOOD AT 1-800-322-8216.

ON CERTAIN MOTOR HOME CHASSIS EQUIPPED WITH A CATERPILLAR C15 ENGINE IN A FLEETWOOD HERITAGE MOTOR HOME, THE VARIABLE VALVE ACTUATION (VVA) OIL LINE MAY WEAR CAUSING AN OIL LEAK.

Serious15V549000

Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System:Fan

If the engine area is open and the cooling fan is operating and detaches, someone nearby may be injured.

Remedy & full details

Spartan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fan and fan drive system, free of charge. Interim notices were mailed to owners on October 29, 2015. The recall began on October 29, 2015. Owners may contact Spartan customer service at 1-800-582-3454. Spartan's number for this recall is 15014.

Spartan Motors USA (Spartan) is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 K2, K3 and MM motorhomes manufactured March 17, 2003, to March 15, 2007. In the affected vehicles, the engine cooling fan may separate from the fan drive while the fan is spinning.

Serious05V283000

Steering:Linkages

DRIVERS WILL LOSE STEERABILITY OF THE VEHICLE AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPAIR THE I-SHAFT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 15, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SPARTAN AT 517-543-6400.

ON CERTAIN MOTOR HOMES, THE I-SHAFT IS THE MECHANICAL LINKAGE BETWEEN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE STEERING GEAR. AT THE NON-WELDED SIDE OF THE I-SHAFT THERE IS A UNIVERSAL JOINT. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE FORK SHAFT CONNECTION COULD BE LOST.

Complaint volume

22 this model-year 6 median, same year

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 22 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

Back Over Prevention · Wa…1 · 5%Electrical System · Wirin…1 · 5%Exterior Lighting · Headl…1 · 5%Electrical System · 12v/2…1 · 5%Service Brakes, Air1 · 5%Interior Lighting1 · 5%Visibility · Windshield W…1 · 5%Visibility · Defroster/De…1 · 5%
  1. Back Over Prevention:Warnings:External/Pedestrian Alert — 1 reports
  2. Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers — 1 reports
  3. Exterior Lighting:Headlights — 1 reports
  4. Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery — 1 reports
  5. Service Brakes, Air — 1 reports
  6. Interior Lighting — 1 reports
  7. Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer — 1 reports
  8. Visibility:Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System:Heater Core — 1 reports
  9. Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch — 1 reports
  10. Latches/Locks/Linkages:Trunk Lid:Lock — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. 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

2005 · 2010 (7) · 2012 (8) · 2023 (4) · 2024 (2)

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.