RecallMyCar

1996 Spartan Gladiator Recalls, Complaints & Specs

4 safety recalls list the 1996 Spartan Gladiator, and owners have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

4
safety recalls
1
owner complaint to NHTSA

4 safety recalls for the 1996 Spartan Gladiator

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

  1. Anchorage (seat belts)

    NHTSA 99V118000 Reported 1,753 vehicles potentially affected SPARTAN MOTORS, INC.

    Vehicle description: fire trucks. These fire trucks are all 4-door models which contain dual, forward facing passenger seats. The hardware utilized to mount the seat box to the cab floor and to the backwall structure, and also to mount the type 1 seat belt systems, was inadequate to meet the requirements of FMVSS nos. 207/210, ""seating…

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat box mounting fasteners.

  2. Structure

    NHTSA 99V010000 Reported 3,210 vehicles potentially affected SPARTAN MOTORS, INC.

    Vehicle description: fire trucks. The cab tilt system contains a 12 volt electrical solenoid assembly as an accessory to the cab tilt electric motor/hydraulic pump assembly. Rain, snow, salt spray or other corrosive environment can corrode the solenoid or "bridge" the energizing coil wire terminal causing the cab tilt system to operate…

    Remedy: Dealers will install a hermetically sealed solenoid assembly.

  3. Suspension

    NHTSA 98V286000 Reported 39 vehicles potentially affected SPARTAN MOTORS, INC.

    Vehicle description: fire trucks. If the driver accelerates in a turn above 20 MPH forward speed, the lock pin is actuated and causes the axle to resist returning to the straight ahead position after the turn is completed because the lock pin is binding on the clamp plate surface.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the tag axles on these fire trucks.

  4. Latch (latches/locks/linkages)

    NHTSA 98V077000 Reported 477 vehicles potentially affected SPARTAN MOTORS, INC.

    Vehicle description: fire trucks with occupant side entry doors. A difficulty in latching the side entry doors to the full closed position, and/or, the doors may release to the secondary latch position. Also loose rivets can cause the latch control mechanism to bind not allowing the door to latch properly when shut.

    Remedy: Dealers will remove and replace the latch and actuator on the doors.

1 owner complaint filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 1996 Spartan Gladiator have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA. Complaints peaked in 1999 with 1 filed that year.

Most-reported components

What owners are reporting

“Front drivers power seat broke off the power device so the whole seat slides off the rails completely. It is currently tied on with hose clamps and tie wraps, but is not secure. The chev dealer wants”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, April 29, 1999 · Seats

Compare Spartan Gladiator model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Spartan Gladiator model year in NHTSA's database.

Model yearRecallsComplaints
1986 Spartan Gladiator10
1987 Spartan Gladiator20
1988 Spartan Gladiator20
1989 Spartan Gladiator20
1990 Spartan Gladiator30
1991 Spartan Gladiator30
1992 Spartan Gladiator30
1993 Spartan Gladiator20
1994 Spartan Gladiator30
1995 Spartan Gladiator30
1996 Spartan Gladiator41
1997 Spartan Gladiator40
1998 Spartan Gladiator40
1999 Spartan Gladiator30
2000 Spartan Gladiator10
2001 Spartan Gladiator40
2002 Spartan Gladiator50
2003 Spartan Gladiator30
2004 Spartan Gladiator80
2005 Spartan Gladiator90
2006 Spartan Gladiator120
2007 Spartan Gladiator160
2008 Spartan Gladiator210
2009 Spartan Gladiator230
2010 Spartan Gladiator290
2011 Spartan Gladiator260
2012 Spartan Gladiator240
2013 Spartan Gladiator290
2014 Spartan Gladiator282
2015 Spartan Gladiator260
2016 Spartan Gladiator140
2017 Spartan Gladiator150
2018 Spartan Gladiator130
2019 Spartan Gladiator140
2020 Spartan Gladiator71

Checking a specific 1996 Spartan Gladiator

How do I know if my 1996 Spartan Gladiator has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 4 campaigns currently list the 1996 Spartan Gladiator; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Spartan dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 98V077000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other Spartan models

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.