Deere & Company announced a recall Nov. 5 of nearly 15,000 of its HPX series Gator utility vehicles. The company says the master brake cylinder piston may fail, resulting in brake loss.
The recall includes four-by-two gas and diesel models and four-by-four gas, diesel and trail models sold between December 2003 and October 2004. Click the link to the right for specific serial number ranges.
If your vehicle is affected by the recall you can determine whether it exhibits the problem by inspecting the brake fluid in the master cylinder, Deere says. If the brake fluid is amber colored and translucent – meaning you can see through it to the bottom of the reservoir — then the utility vehicle is in normal condition and you can continue using it. Deere advises, however, that you limit the machine’s sever use and take extra caution when braking. Continue to check the brake fluid at least once a week. Your John Deere dealer will contact you and replace the master cylinder for free.
If the brake fluid in the reservoir is dark gray and is not transparent, you should not operate the utility vehicle for any reason because the brakes are at risk for failure. Deere requests that owners contact their dealers as soon as possible to schedule replacement of the master cylinder.
