Overloaded Electrical System May Cause Fire

Affected vehicles (5)

Component / system

Defect

Spartan Fire, LLC (Spartan Fire) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Gladiator, MetroStar, 2024 Commercial, FC-94, and KME Panther trucks equipped with Hercules HC 1.7 multiplex nodes. In the event of a short circuit or wiring failure, the firmware in the node may fail to shut off the output pin, resulting in overloaded electrical circuits.

Risk / consequence

Overloaded electrical circuits can overheat, increasing the risk of fire.

Remedy

Weldon will update the firmware, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 8, 2024. Owners may contact Spartan Fire customer service at 1-517-543-6400. Spartan Fire's number for this recall is 24003.

Chronology of events

1. November 2023

   November 2023 - Weldon filed a recall report (23E-084) for a similar type of device (multiplex node) after identifying an issue with the electrical current sensing calibration. Subsequently, Weldon reviewed the performance of a product with a similar function, the Hercules HC node. December 2023 - The results of Weldon's initial testing indicated the Node fused internally and performed in a safe manner. January 2024 - Additional testing of production samples indicated that a short circuit in vehicle wiring could cause overheating of the node. On January 24, 2024, Weldon decided to conduct a recall and issue a firmware update to remedy the issue.

2. Feb 15, 2024

   On February 15, 2024 – Spartan received information from Weldon regarding recall number 23E-084. A PSR team created, Engineering and purchasing reviewed potential population, and verified inventory.

3. Feb 23, 2024

   February 23, 2024 – Spartan determined the potential population. Stop ship issued at Spartan.

4. Feb 26, 2024

   February 26, 2024 - Escalated the issue to REV Group Management.

5. Mar 5, 2024

   March 5, 2024 – REV’s senior leadership approved a voluntary recall for this issue.

Notification schedule

Dealer notification

APR 01, 2024 - APR 05, 2024

Owner notification

APR 08, 2024 - APR 12, 2024

Documents (15)