Fire Trucks Too Dim? Maker Says No Big Deal
Published Date: 8/27/2026
Notice
Summary
Spartan Fire, LLC found that some of their 2015-2023 emergency vehicles don’t fully meet safety rules about lights and reflectors. They asked the government to decide if this issue is minor and won’t affect safety. People have until September 28, 2026, to share their thoughts, and no money or recalls are expected right now.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
≈35 Spartan emergency vehicles noncompliant
About 35 model year 2015–2023 Spartan Fire Gladiator and Spartan Fire Metro Star emergency vehicles, manufactured between April 25, 2016 and February 29, 2024, were reported as not fully complying with FMVSS No. 108 because “scene lights” installed as backup lamps may exceed the photometric limits in Table XII (300 candela for multiple-lamp systems; 600 candela for single-lamp systems).
Manufacturer seeks exemption from remedies
Spartan petitioned NHTSA on February 18, 2025, asking for a legal determination that the noncompliance is ‘inconsequential’ and for exemption from the statutory duties to notify owners, purchasers, and dealers and to remedy the noncompliance under 49 U.S.C. 30118 and 30120 and 49 CFR part 556. Any exemption would apply only to subject vehicles Spartan no longer controlled when it discovered the noncompliance.
Dealers remain barred from selling noncompliant units
NHTSA explicitly states that even if it grants an exemption to Spartan, any decision would not relieve vehicle distributors and dealers of the prohibitions on sale, offer for sale, or introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce of the noncompliant vehicles under their control after Spartan notified them that the noncompliance existed.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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