Exhaust Silencer May Detach

Affected vehicles (1)

Component / system

Defect

Alamo Group Inc. (Alamo Group) is recalling certain 2018-2021 AllVac AVRB-18 vehicles. The vibration from vacuum operations could lead to the exhaust silencer welds cracking, resulting in detachment of the exhaust silencer from the vehicle.

Risk / consequence

A detached exhaust silencer can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Gradall Dealers will inspect the exhaust silencer and repair any cracked welds, reattach any detached silencers, and weld a c-shape bracket from the silencer to the power frame, free of charge. Direct-sales owners will be provided instructions and parts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2023. Owners may contact Gradall customer service at 1-800-382-8302.

Chronology of events

1. March 2020

   In March 2020, Gradall was notified by a customer in Chile that an exhaust silencer for an AllVac AVRB-18 vehicle detached from the vehicle. In discussing this issue with the customer, it was discovered that the operational terrain was extremely rugged. This was considered an isolated incident caused by the terrain on which the vehicle was operating.

2. July 2021

   In July 2021, as part of a broader product standardization effort, Gradall changed the model of exhaust silencer used in AllVac AVRB-18 vehicles and secured that silencer to the frame of the vehicle with c-clamp bracket.

3. February 2022

   In February 2022, Gradall was notified by another owner of an AllVAC AVRB-18 built prior to the July 2021 product standardization that this same issue had occurred (i.e., the exhaust silencer detached from the vehicle) while the vehicle was being driven on a public roadway. This customer also observed cracks in the welds on exhaust silencers on one other pre-July 2021 AllVac AVRB-18 vehicle that the customer owns.

4. October 2022

   In October 2022, Gradall conducted a safety investigation to assess the failure mode, the failure rate, and potential causes. As part of that investigation, Gradall reviewed information reported by the customer in

5. February 2022

   February 2022 and contacted another customer who operates a number of AllVac AVRB-18 vehicles. The second customer also observed cracks in the welds on the exhaust silencer and reported that two exhaust silencers had broken from the frame, but not detached from the vehicle. Gradall also inspected AllVac AVRB-18 vehicles that were manufactured after the July 2021 design change. None of those vehicles had cracks in the welds or detached exhaust silencers. As of January 13, 2023, Alamo was aware of no warranty claims, no deaths, and no injuries related to this issue. The customer notifications in March 2020 and February 2022 are the only such notifications or reports Alamo has received on this issue. On January 13, 2023, Alamo decided to declare a voluntary safety recall.

Notification schedule

Dealer notification

MAR 24, 2023 - MAR 24, 2023

Owner notification

MAR 24, 2023 - MAR 24, 2023