Vehicle recall 14V455000 · July 25, 2014
KME Panther and Predator
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.
Source: NHTSA data as of September 22, 2026. Last refreshed Sep 23, 2026, 2:43 AM UTC.
- Summary
- 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."
- Consequence
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
- Notes
- 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.
Recall details
- NHTSA campaign
- 14V455000
- Reported to NHTSA
- July 25, 2014
- Filed by
- Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp.
- Manufacturer campaign
- 2014-SR01
- Owner notification
- August 24, 2015
- Vehicles potentially affected
- 10
- Initiated by
- NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation
- Components
- Seat belts
Vehicles covered
As listed by NHTSA. A recall usually covers only some vehicles of each model and year, often a production date range.
- KME Panther (2013-2014): 2014, 2013
- KME Predator (2013-2014): 2014, 2013
Has your KME been repaired?
Recalls here come from NHTSA’s records for the model and year. Not every vehicle of a model is included in every recall, and this site can’t see whether a repair has been done. Only a VIN lookup can tell you that.
NHTSA’s VIN search doesn’t show recalls that were already repaired, recalls more than 15 years old, or some small manufacturers’ recalls. A KME dealer can also check your VIN. Recall repairs are free.