SPARTAN Complaints

Vehicle is a 2017 Spartan Custom Fire Engine. Since just after purchase of the vehicle it has had Supplemental Restraint Warning issues including an air bag light on startup. Dealership has worked on system multiple times and has attempted multiple "fixes" from Spartan including installing brackets to support the seat belt sensor wires to minimize what was believed to be intermittent disconnects. Further review with our dealership and an alternate dealership has identified this is an issue on multiple Spartan VIN's due to a wiring harness/connector issue. Spartan has told our service techs that there is a high resistance connection in the system and to change all connectors but that it will not be covered under warranty. As this is a life safety system with apparently known defects with a manufacturer that is hiding from a manufacturing defect we believe this should be subject to a recall.

The contact owns a 2020 Spartan K2. The contact stated while driving 68 mph, the diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) system failed not allowing the vehicle to exceed 6 mph. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer nor independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and informed the contact that the part to repair the vehicle was currently on back order. The failure mileage was approximately 5,500.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SPARTAN FIRE TRUCK. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 18V691000 (EQUIPMENT) AND 18V424000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE RECALL REPAIRS WERE NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE IF THE ISSUE AND STATED THAT SOMEONE WOULD CALL IN ORDER TO SCHEDULE AND PERFORM THE REPAIRS. THE CONTACT HAD NOT RECEIVED A CALLBACK TO HAVE THE RECALL REPAIRS PERFORMED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCE A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

THE WIPER MOTOR ON A NEW FIRE APPARATUS FAILS DURING USE. THE WIPER MOTOR HAS BEEN REPLACED FOUR TIMES IN SIX MONTHS. LOCAL DEALER HAS REPLACED THE ENTIRE WIPER AND LINKAGE ONCE. THE SPARTAN GLADIATOR CHASSIS WAS PLACED IN SERVICE 11/2019 AND THE FIRST FAILURE WAS 2/6/20. THE MOTOR WAS REPLACED. THE NEXT FAILURE WAS 2/28/20. THE MOTOR WAS REPLACED AGAIN. ON 4/1 THE TRUCK WENT TO THE DEALER FOR ANOTHER WIPER MOTOR FOR A FAILURE. ON 6/18 THE TRUCK WENT OUT OF SERVICE AGAIN WITH A FAULTY WIPER MOTOR. THE FRONT LINE FIRE APPARATUS WILL BE OUT OF SERVICE FOR NEARLY A WEEK WAITING ON A NEW WIPER MOTOR. THERE IS NO APPARENT FIX FOR THE ISSUE OTHER THAN REPLACING THE WIPER MOTOR AS IT FAILS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SPARTAN K2. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SIDE RADIATOR MOUNTED FRAMEWORK HAD BECOME STRUCTURALLY DISCONNECTED, WHICH IMPACTED A LOOSE CONNECTION OF THE SAND BLADE. AS A RESULT, THE SIDE RADIATOR HOUSING WAS FRACTURED, WHICH IMPACTED THE SAND BLADE, HOUSING UNIT, AND OTHER COMPONENTS. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN SERVICED BY THE MANUFACTURER'S AUTHORIZED FACILITY. THE CONTACT CALLED SEVERAL TIMES AND ALSO LEFT MESSAGES WITH THE MANUFACTURER. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE SIDE RADIATOR HOUSING UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.

GOT LOCKED OUT OF THE ONLY DOOR TO THE VEHICLE. HAD TO REMOVE AND REPLACE THE ENTIRE DOOR LOCK MECHANISM. APPARENTLY, MANY OTHER OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE AS WELL, WITH MANY GETTING LOCKED INSIDE THE COACH! THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE CAUSED BY A 1/4" MOVEMENT OF A PART INSIDE THE DOOR. SO REPLACING THE LOCK MECHANISM AS WE DID WILL NOT KEEP THIS ISSUE FROM HAPPENING AGAIN! THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND FIXED BY THE MANUFACTURER.

DOOR LOCKS PASSENGERS INSIDE AND THIS IS THE MAIN EXIT WITHOUT GOING OUT A WINDOW THIS COULD CAUSE OCCUPANTS TO NOT EXIT IN CASE OF FIRE OR ACCIDENT. LOCK IS MADE BY TRI MARK AND THEY DO NOT REPLACE OR HAVE A SOLUTION. THIS HAPPENS IN STATIONARY AND MOBILE MODE AMERICAN COACH DOES NOT SEE AS A RECALL

WE HAVE AN RV THAT HAS ELECTRICAL ENERGY FLOWING THROUGHOUT THE CHASSIS WHEN IT IS PLUGGED INTO SHORE POWER. PASSENGERS HAVE BEEN ELECTRICUTED IN AND AROUND THE RV. AFTER INSPECTION OF THE ATS (AUTOMATIC TRANSFER SWITCH) I NOTICED EVIDENCE OF A SMALL ELECTRICAL FIRE THAT HAD OCCURRED. (SEE PHOTO) WHEN RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM I FOUND A SAFETY RECALL RELATED TO THIS ATS (AUTOMATIC TRANSFER SWITCH). RECALL # 12V-516 APPEARS TO BE RELATED TO THE IOAT ENGINEERING ITS-50R ATS. THIS IS THE SAME ATS THAT IS IN OUR RV BUT OUR RV IS NOT COVERED IN THIS RECALL. ADDITIONAL WE HAD WORK DONE ON THIS ATS IN 2011 (SEE PHOTO) THE RV SAID SAID THAT THERE WERE BURNT WIRES IN THE ATS. THE SHOP SAID THAT THIS WAS FIXED BUT THE PROBLEM CAME BACK. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS IS A 220V 50A SYSTEM THAT CAN CARRY A DEADLY POWER LOAD AND OF COURSE THERE IS ALSO A RISK OF A FIRE.

TODAY, (8/21/2017) IS THE FIRST I LEARNED OF SAFETY RECALL 17V-160. SPARTAN REFUSES TO ALLOW ME TO TAKE MY MOTOR HOME TO MY SERVICE FACILITY 30 MILES FROM MY HOME. INSTEAD, THEY INSIST I TAKE THE MOTOR HOME ALMOST 75 MILES, WHERE I MUST LEAVE IT AN EXTENDED TIME FOR THE REPAIR, TO A SPARTAN AUTHORIZED REPAIR FACILITY, THAT PURCHASED A SPECIAL TORQUE WRENCH TO COMPLETE THE REPAIR. I BELIEVE SPARTAN IS UNREASONABLE WITH THEIR DEMAND.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SPARTAN MOTORS MOTOR HOME (NA). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE SPARTAN MANUFACTURER AND THE POWER STEERING UNIT, POWER STEERING, AND POWER STEERING LINE WERE REPAIRED. THE REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED THREE TIMES; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURES WERE RELATED TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V676000 (STEERING). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000.