2012 Kme PANTHER: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
1 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
29,080 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2012 model year. Data updated: . 1 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Most common problems
Unknown Or Other is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 1 complaints (100.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | 1 |
Unknown Or Other: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 1 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 0 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 1 |
2019: 1
Pattern summary
Unknown Or Other leads the component reports. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11206194 · 2019-05-08 (May 8, 2019)
FULTON NY FIRE DEPT WAS NOTIFIED BY SYRACUSE FD OF AN ISSUE WITH THEIR KME SWING DRIVES, FULTON FD HAD OUR DRIVES INSPECTED ON 5/3/19 AND THE INFO BELOW WAS FOUND. SWING DRIVES FOR THE AERIAL WHERE INSPECTED. NO FILL PLUG COULD BE ACCESSED. DRAIN PLUGS WHERE ACCESSED. DRAIN PLUGS WHERE REMOVED. NO OIL CAME OUT OF THE DRAINS. INSIDE OF DRIVES WERE CHECKED WITH AN INSPECTION CAMERA. THE DRIVER SIDE DRIVE WAS FOUND TO BE FULL OF RUST. THE OFFICER SIDE DRIVE WERE FOUND TO HAVE RUST FORMING ON SOME PARTS INSIDE. THESE DRIVES ARE MAINTENANCE FREE…
Owner-reported narrative. 29,080 miles reported. Look up ODI 11206194 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
2 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
13V137000 · Parking Brake:Conventional:Air
Reported: 2013-04-11 (April 11, 2013)
Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp. (Kovatch) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Predator, Predator SS, Panther, and model year 2011 Panther II emergency vehicles manufactured February 1, 2011, through February 28, 2013. These vehicles are equipped with Meritor axle assemblies that were built with disc brakes using MGM J24 series air brake chambers. In the affected axles, the brake chambers may leak pressure allowing the parking brake to drag when it is supposed to be released. Brake dragging could lead to overheated brake components.
Consequence: Overheated brake components could result in a fire.
Remedy: Kovatch will notify owners and will replace the actuators as needed, free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin in May 2013. Owners may contact Kovatch at 1-570-669-5132.
NHTSA campaign record ↗13V187000 · Steering
Reported: 2013-05-09 (May 9, 2013)
Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp. (Kovatch) is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 Predator, Predator SS, Panther; 2010-2011 ARFF; and model year 2010-2013 Panther II emergency vehicles. The grease fitting in the steering column shaft may get caught in the column cover. The grease fitting could tear the cover which will impact the driver's ability to steer the vehicle.
Consequence: A sudden loss of steering control may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Kovatch will notify owners and dealers will remove the grease fitting, free of charge. The safety recall began on May 20, 2013. Owners may contact Kovatch at 1-570-669-5173. Kovatch's recall campaign number is 2013-E01.
NHTSA campaign record ↗Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
1 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 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2021 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | 1100.0%ODI 11206194 · 29,080 miFULTON NY FIRE DEPT WAS NOTIFIED BY SYRACUSE FD OF AN ISSUE WITH THEIR KME SWING DRIVES, FULTON FD HAD OUR DRIVES INSPECTED ON 5/3/19 AND THE INFO BELOW WAS FOUND. SWING DRIVES FOR THE AERIAL WHERE INSPECTED. NO FILL PLUG COULD BE ACCESSED. DRAIN PLUGS WHERE ACCESSED. DRAIN PLUGS WHERE REMOVED. NO OIL CAME OUT OF THE DRAINS. INSIDE OF DRIVES WERE CHECKED WITH AN INSPECTION CAMERA. THE DRIVER SIDE DRIVE WAS FOUND TO BE FULL OF RUST. THE OFFICER SIDE DRIVE WERE FOUND TO HAVE RUST FORMING ON SOME PARTS INSIDE. THESE DRIVES ARE MAINTENANCE FREE… | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | Too few reports for a range | 29,080 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 11206194 · 29,080 miFULTON NY FIRE DEPT WAS NOTIFIED BY SYRACUSE FD OF AN ISSUE WITH THEIR KME SWING DRIVES, FULTON FD HAD OUR DRIVES INSPECTED ON 5/3/19 AND THE INFO BELOW WAS FOUND. SWING DRIVES FOR THE AERIAL WHERE INSPECTED. NO FILL PLUG COULD BE ACCESSED. DRAIN PLUGS WHERE ACCESSED. DRAIN PLUGS WHERE REMOVED. NO OIL CAME OUT OF THE DRAINS. INSIDE OF DRIVES WERE CHECKED WITH AN INSPECTION CAMERA. THE DRIVER SIDE DRIVE WAS FOUND TO BE FULL OF RUST. THE OFFICER SIDE DRIVE WERE FOUND TO HAVE RUST FORMING ON SOME PARTS INSIDE. THESE DRIVES ARE MAINTENANCE FREE… |
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.
2021: 0 complaints · 2023: 0 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 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 | Unknown Or Other |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | — |
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.