Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 1 of 1 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
Equipment Adaptive/mobility. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Structure. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
1 reports
9,280 miles · Feb 28, 2013
Equipment Adaptive/mobilityStructureInjury
WHILE OPERATING THE PLATFORM FOR A PUBLIC RELATIONS EVENT AT THE FIRE STATION, FOUR CIVILIANS AND ONE FIREFIGHTER WERE RAISED UP IN THE BUCKET. AT APPROXIMATELY 80 FEET EXTENSION AND 45 DEGREES ELEVATION THE LADDER COMPONENT OF THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE RESULTING IN THE LADDER RETRACTING RAPIDLY INTO …
Read full complaint
WHILE OPERATING THE PLATFORM FOR A PUBLIC RELATIONS EVENT AT THE FIRE STATION, FOUR CIVILIANS AND ONE FIREFIGHTER WERE RAISED UP IN THE BUCKET. AT APPROXIMATELY 80 FEET EXTENSION AND 45 DEGREES ELEVATION THE LADDER COMPONENT OF THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE RESULTING IN THE LADDER RETRACTING RAPIDLY INTO ITS BEDDED POSITION. THE SUDDEN STOP CAUSING MULTIPLE INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANTS. AT THE TIME THE ONLY OBVIOUS FAILURE WAS THE RETRACTION AND EXTENSION CABLES. AT THIS TIME THE FAILURE IS STILL BEING INVESTIGATED BY SEVERAL PARTIES AS TO ACTUAL CAUSE. *TR
Sutphen Corporation (Sutphen) is recalling certain model year 2000-2014 SPH 100, SP 110, SPI 112, SAI 110 aerial devices manufactured November 5, 2014. The main extension cable on the aerial ladders may fail.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A cable failure may cause the ladder to collapse in use, increasing the risk of injury to a user.
Remedy: Sutphen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair or replace the ladders, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began in October 2014. Owners may contact Sutphen customer service at 1-866-287-5549. Sutphen's number for this recall is NACIS# 336120.
Sutphen Corporation (Sutphen) is recalling certain model year 2003-2012 SPH 100, model year 2000-2004 SP 110, model year 2003-2011 SPI 112 and model year 2003-2011 SAI 110 fire apparatus. In the affected vehicles, the bearings used for the extension of the ladder may seize causing the extension cables passing over them to chafe and fail.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Failure of the extend/retract system can cause the aerial to unexpectedly retract. This movement could result in injuries to personnel on or around the vehicle.
Remedy: Sutphen has notified owners, and inspected all of the affected vehicles, repairing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall was completed on May 17, 2013. Owners may contact Sutphen at 1-614-889-1005.
SUTPHEN HAS NOTIFIED NHTSA ABOUT A DEFECT IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004 THROUGH 2010 SPH MODEL FIRE TRUCKS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN JANUARY 2004 AND JANUARY 2010, EQUIPPED WITH SERIES 60 DETROIT DIESEL OR C-13 CATERPILLAR ENGINES. PRE 2007, THE DETROIT DIESEL ENGINES WERE MOUNTED LOW IN THE FRAME WHICH CAUSES VIBRATION IN THE DRIVELINE. POST 2007, A NEW SUSPENSION AND FRAME DESIGN CAUSED THE DRIVELINE ANGLES OF THE DETROIT DIESEL AND CATERPILLAR ENGINES TO BE SLIGHTLY OUT OF ALIGNMENT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: VIBRATION IN THE DRIVELINE CAN CAUSE PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE U-JOINTS, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: SUTPHEN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPAIR THE FIRE TRUCKS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 8, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SUTPHEN AT 1-866-287-5549.
SUTPHEN CORPORATION IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007 THROUGH 2009 FIRE TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH CUMMINS ISC CM2150 AND ISL CM2150 MODEL DIESEL ENGINES. THE TRUCKS MAY BE DESIGNED WITH A HARD WIRED, DASH-MOUNTED SWITCH THAT ENABLES THE VEHICLE OPERATOR TO INHIBIT AFTERTREATMENT DIESEL PARTICULATE FILTER REGENERATION IN ENVIRONMENTS WHERE THE OPERATOR BELIEVES IT MAY BE UNSAFE FOR ELEVATED EXHAUST TEMPERATURES. DUE TO AN ISSUE WITH THE LOGIC IN THE ECM SOFTWARE IN THESE ENGINES, THE SWITCH MAY NOT FUNCTION CORRECTLY, LEADING THE OPERATOR TO BELIEVE THAT THE SWITCH IS IN "INHIBIT" MODE WHEN IT IS NOT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION WILL PERMIT HOT EXHAUST GASES TO EXIT THE VEHICLE TAILPIPE, INCREASING THE RISK OF MELTING OR BURNING OF NEARBY SURFACES, OR A FIRE.
Remedy: SUTPHEN CORPORATION IS WORKING WITH CUMMINS TO REPAIR THE ENGINES FREE OF CHARGE. PLEASE SEE CUMMINS' DEFECT REPORT 09E-046. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CUMMINS AT 1-800-DIESELS (1-800-343-7357).
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
3
RQ14003 · Aerial Fire Apparatus Cable Failure
Opened Aug 6, 2014 · Closed Dec 23, 2014
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Latches/locks/linkages
On May 22, 2013 the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation investigation (PE13-017) on Sutphen SPH aerial ladder bucket equipped emergency vehicles for cable failures resulting in unintended bucket retraction.This investigation was closed November 19, 2013 when Sutphen submitted a safety recall 13V-565.At the time of the recall, Sutphen believed the failures were a result of poor maintenance.Sutphen conducted a remedy program where they inspected all of the subject vehicles, repaired any damaged aerial ladder components and trained the owners on the proper maintenance of the equipment.Since the closing of PE13-017, ODI has been made aware (through media reports) of three post recall failures that resulted in 6 injuries.These failures occurred following the implementation of the 13V-565 recall remedy on the subject vehicles.On August 6th, 2014 ODI opened this Recall Query (RQ14-003) on the same Sutphen Corporation SPH aerial ladder bucket equipped emergency vehicles based on the three additional aerial ladder bucket failures.On September 4th, 2014 an ODI investigator, Sutphen engineers, a Hall County technical representative and County Commissioner conducted an inspection of a failed subject vehicle in Atlanta, Georgia.The Fire truck and aerial device were impounded and secured in the maintenance shop where all parties were able to conduct an inspection of the failed components.The Hall county representatives extended the aerial ladder bucket for the ODI and Sutphen inspectors to take measurements and pictures.Also, the failed cables were laid out on the garage floor for inspection. On October 18th 2014, Sutphen purchased the subject fire truck from Hall County for additional analysis and later decided to conduct an additional Safety Recall.Sutphen determined the root cause of the unintended retraction of the aerial ladder bucked was a failure of the cables which extend and retract the ladder.Subsequently a field retrofit kit was developed, analyzed, and tested to ensure that in-service aerials could be restored to a safe operating configuration.This is accomplished by increasing both the size and strength of the cables and limiting the maximum hydraulic pressure in the extension system. This new modification kit will update the field units to meet Sutphen's standards and exceed NFPA requirements.This investigation is closed with safety recall 14V-718.
PE13017 · Aerial Fire Apparatus Cable Failure
Opened May 22, 2013 · Closed Nov 19, 2013
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Latches/locks/linkages
On May 22, 2012 the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to investigate an alleged failure of an aerial ladder bucket on a subject vehicle while in operation.The failure occurred during a public relations event at a fire station while four civilians and one firefighter were being elevated in the aerial ladder bucket.Once the ladder was fully extended at a 45 degree angle, the ladder component of the vehicle experienced a sudden and catastrophic failure. This resulted in the ladder retracting rapidly into its bedded position.This sudden stoppage caused multiple injuries to all five of the occupants within the aerial ladder bucket.Sutphen concluded that the main cables were worn. The bearings in the sheaves used in the extend/retract the system had seized and prevented the sheaves from rotating. The cables sliding over the non-moving sheaves resulted in excessive wear and reduced load carrying capacity.Failure of the extend/retract system can result in either the aerial becoming inoperable or cause it to unexpectedly retract. This movement could result in damage to the vehicle and/or injuries to personnel on or around the vehicle.Sutphen is conducting a voluntary Safety Recall (13V-565) to address the safety concerns with the aerial ladder.As part of the remedy, Sutphen will inspect each vehicle for worn parts and will provide detailed instructions for vehicle owners on how to inspect and maintain the aerial ladder portion of the fire apparatus.
PE10002 · Driveshaft Failure
Opened Jan 19, 2010 · Closed Mar 25, 2010
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train:driveline:driveshaft
This investigation was opened after ODI was notified by a fire rescue authority that they had multiple driveshaft failures on four of their fire trucks. Allegedly, one driveshaft was ejected from the truck as it was being driven on the highway at a high rate of speed. Sutphen conducted an engineering evaluation and then decided to conduct a safety recall.They will: a.modify the cross members on the pre-2007 vehicles; b.conduct driveshaft re-phasing on the post-2007 vehicles; and c.replace the frame cross members.The action taken by Sutphen resolves this investigation. Accordingly, this investigation is closed.
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