Charles Machine DITCH WITCH recalls by model year
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
0 owner complaints analyzed
5 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1977 to 2019 model years. Data updated: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 3 |
2018: 3; 2019: 3
Year-by-year records
Recall history
5 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
83V109000 · Wheels
Reported: 1983-10-13 (October 13, 1983) · Model years: 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983
WHEELS MAY CONTAIN DEFECTIVE WELDS THAT MAY FAIL WHEN THE VEHICLE IS CARRYING THE RATED LOAD OR A LESSER WEIGHT.
Remedy: WHEEL WELDS WILL BE INSPECTED AND IF EVIDENCE OF DEFECTIVE WELDING IS FOUND, THE WHEELS WILL BE REPLACED.
NHTSA campaign record ↗18V727000 · Structure
Reported: 2018-10-18 (October 18, 2018) · Model years: 2018
Charles Machine Works Inc (Charles Machine) is recalling certain 2018 Ditch Witch VT14, VT20 and VT24 trailers with HX30, HX50 or HX75 vacuum excavators equipped with an optional jib boom. The jib boom on these vehicles can become loose from the latching pin mechanism, allowing the boom to swing outside the trailer while being towed.
Consequence: If the jib boom swings outside the trailer while it is being towed, it can increase the risk of injury or a crash.
Remedy: Charles Machine will notify owners, and dealers will replace the latching pin with a hook mechanism that goes over the top of the arm, securing it to the trailer structure, free of charge. The recall began October 22, 2018. Owners may contact Charles Machine customer service at 1-800-654-6481. Charles Machine's number for this recall is ID0502488.
NHTSA campaign record ↗19V487000 · Service Brakes, Electric
Reported: 2019-06-21 (June 21, 2019) · Model years: 2018, 2019
Charles Machine Works Inc. (Charles Machine) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Ditch Witch VT9, VT12, VT14, VT17, VT20 and VT24 trailers. The brake wire terminals may have been improperly crimped, which can result in the trailer brakes failing to apply when commanded.
Consequence: If the trailer brakes do not apply as expected, the distance required to stop the trailer may be lengthened, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy: Charles Machine has notified owners, and dealers will replace the brake terminals with a machine terminal, free of charge. The recall began June 25, 2019. Owners may contact Charles Machine customer service at 1-800-654-6481.
NHTSA campaign record ↗19V490000 · Trailer Hitches
Reported: 2019-06-25 (June 25, 2019) · Model years: 2018, 2019
Charles Machine Works Inc (Charles Machine) is recalling certain 2018 Ditch Witch VT17, 2018-2019 VT20 and VT24 trailers. The lock nuts that attach the hitch to the trailer may be insufficient to clamp the load after the hitch height has been adjusted.
Consequence: Without a sufficient clamp load, the hitch may unexpectedly detach from the trailer, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Charles Machine has notified owners, and will provide new hardware, free of charge. The recall began June 28, 2019. Owners may contact Charles Machine customer service at 1-800-654-6481. Charles Machine's number for this recall is ID0568989.
NHTSA campaign record ↗19V154000 · Suspension:Rear:Axle:Non-Powered Axle Assembly
Reported: 2019-03-01 (March 1, 2019) · Model years: 2019
Charles Machine Works, Inc (Charles) is recalling certain 2019 Ditch Witch VT24 trailers. The axle bearings may not have been greased.
Consequence: The ungreased axle bearings could result in a wheel locking up, affecting vehicle handling and increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy: Charles will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the axles for the affected batch number and rework the hubs with new seals and bearings, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 25, 2019. Owners may contact Charles customer service at 1-800-654-6481. Charles' number for this recall is ID0555609.
NHTSA campaign record ↗Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
0 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-09-30.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| No usable records for this analysis. | ||
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No usable records for this analysis. | ||||
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
2018: 0 complaints · 2019: 0 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component |
|---|
| No usable records for this analysis. |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.