Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp. – Seat Belt may be Difficult to Unlatch/FMVSS 209

Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp. (Kovatch) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Predator and 2014 Panther fire fighting vehicles manufactured October 2013 to March 2014, and equipped with IMMI-brand L9 seat belt buckles. When the button is pressed to release the seat belt, the latch plate can become partially engaged with the buckle, making the seat belt difficult to unlatch. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 209, “Seat Belt Assemblies.”


Report Received Date 07/25/2014
NHTSA ID 14V455000
Consequence Summary If the latch plate remains partially engaged after the button is pressed, egress from the vehicle could be hindered which would increase the risk of injury in the event of an emergency.
Corrective Action Kovatch will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt buckle, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 24, 2015. Owners may contact Kovatch at 1-800-235-3926. Kovatch's number for this campaign is 2014-SR01.
Recall Code 2014-SR01
Potentially Affected 10
Fire Risk When Parked No
Do Not Drive No
Recall Link Go to Recall (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=14V455000)