Recall · 21V177000
Charles Machine Works recalled 5 models over exterior lighting
456
Vehicles covered
5
Models
33
Model years
March 15, 2021
Filed with NHTSA
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
- The defect
- Charles Machine Works, Inc. (Charles Machine) is recalling certain 2008-2020 Ditch Witch S4S, 2015-2021 Ditch Witch 025-1020, 2015 Ditch Witch 745-7900, 2009-2019 Ditch Witch ZS6S, and 2010 Ditch Witch ZS6S-1 trailers designed for carrying the FX20 vacuum excavator. The trailers may be missing side reflex reflectors near the front of the trailer. As such, these trailers fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
- What it can cause
- Without the proper reflective equipment, the vacuum excavator trailer may have reduced visibility to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
- What the dealer does
- Charles Machine will notify owners, and dealers will inspect for side reflex reflectors, and add them as necessary, free of charge. The began on March 31, 2021. Owners may contact Charles Machine customer service at 1-800-654-6481.
- NHTSA's note
- 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.
The repair is free, whatever the age or mileage of the vehicle, and whether or not you are the original owner.
Which vehicles
A recall reaches a range of VINs inside these model years, not every car built in them. Yours may not be covered even if it is listed here, and the only way to find out is NHTSA's own VIN lookup .
| Vehicle | Model years | Safety record |
|---|---|---|
| Ditch Witch025-1020 | 2015 to 2021 | Not published here |
| Ditch Witch745-7900 | 2015 | Not published here |
| Ditch WitchS4S | 2008 to 2020 | Not published here |
| Ditch WitchZS6S | 2009 to 2019 | Not published here |
| Ditch WitchZS6S-1 | 2010 | Not published here |
How this campaign compares
At 456 vehicles this is a small campaign: 50% of the 19,818 vehicle recalls filed since 1995 whose size NHTSA published are as large or larger. The middle campaign on file covers 472. It covers model years 2008 to 2021, so the oldest vehicles on it were 13 model years old when the defect was reported to NHTSA.
Check your own car
A VIN check is the only answer for a specific vehicle, and it also shows every other open recall on it, which is usually the reason it is worth doing rather than reading one campaign.
Filed by Charles Machine Works, Inc. with NHTSA on March 15, 2021 as campaign 21V177000. Every word of the defect, consequence and remedy above is NHTSA's published record of that filing, not a summary of it.
Compiled and maintained by guarledes . Data last checked 2021-03-15.
Independent developer and analyst