Vehicles › Smeal › Smeal Aerial
2020 Smeal Aerial
The 2020 Smeal Aerial appears in 2 NHTSA recall campaigns (equipment) and in 0 consumer complaints filed with the agency.
No consumer complaints for this model year are in the NHTSA file.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 29 Sep 2026.
Recalls by model year:
Recall campaigns
Defect, as filed: Smeal Holding, LLC (Smeal) is recalling certain 2009-2020 Aerial Fire Apparatus vehicles equipped with a positional waterway trolley. If the operator attempts to both extend the ladder, and shift from one mode to the other at the same time, the locking tabs can be broken off the locking arms.
Consequence: A damaged positional waterway trolley can become disconnected from the ladder and drop to the ground, increasing the risk of injury or death.
Remedy: Smeal will notify owners, and dealers will adjust the proximity switches for those units equipped with a positional waterway mode shift timer interlock system, free of charge. The recall began on March 25, 2021. Owners may contact Smeal customer service at 1-800-867-6478.
Filed by Smeal Holding, LLC (manufacturer campaign 21-02).
Defect, as filed: Smeal Holding, LLC (Smeal) is recalling certain 2020 Aerial and Pumper vehicles, equipped with battery-powered 3600 wireless remote controller units used to control the movement of electric firefighting monitors in firefighting vehicles. The monitor is used to direct the water stream and adjust the spray pattern. The wireless remote controller's sleep mode is disabled, which results in the batteries discharging faster than normal.
Consequence: Inability to use the wireless remote controller may hinder the firefighting efforts, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Smeal will notify owners, and dealers will ask the customer to return the affected controller to Akron Brass for a software update, free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2021. Owners may contact Smeal customer service at 1-800-867-6478. Smeal's number for this recall is 20-17.
Filed by Smeal Holding, LLC (manufacturer campaign 20-17).
Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
No consumer complaints for this model year are in the NHTSA file.
Investigations
No NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation action in the current file names this model year.
Other Smeal Aerial model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 216 |
| 1998 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 216 |
| 1999 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 216 |
| 2000 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 216 |
| 2001 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 216 |
| 2002 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 216 |
| 2003 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 216 |
| 2004 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 216 |
| 2005 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 216 |
| 2006 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 216 |
| 2007 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 216 |
| 2008 | 2 | 0 | 559 |
| 2009 | 2 | 0 | 559 |
| 2010 | 3 | 0 | 633 |
| 2011 | 3 | 0 | 633 |
| 2012 | 3 | 0 | 633 |
| 2013 | 4 | 0 | 653 |
| 2014 | 4 | 0 | 653 |
| 2015 | 6 | 0 | 747 |
| 2016 | 3 | 0 | 437 |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | 437 |
| 2018 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 343 |
| 2019 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 343 |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | 345 |
| 2022 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 69 |
| 2023 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 69 |
| 2024 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 29 |
| 2026 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 29 |
Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.
All Smeal Aerial model years · Smeal: 3 model lines
Questions and answers
How many recalls does the 2020 Smeal Aerial have?
2 NHTSA recall campaigns name this model year; the most recent, 21V029000, was reported to NHTSA on 28 Jan 2021 and concerns equipment:mechanical:boom/crane/ladder. Across all model years the Smeal Aerial line has 9 campaigns.
Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 2020 Smeal Aerial?
No NHTSA investigation in the current file names this model year.
What component do owners of the 2020 Smeal Aerial complain about most?
No complaints for this model year are in the NHTSA file.
How do I get a recall repaired?
NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 29 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 29 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.