John Deere TH / TS / TX Gator UTV fire hazard from Kawasaki fuel filter (CPSC 13-706)

## Affected machines This recall is the **UTV companion** to the broader Kawasaki engine fuel filter recall (CPSC 13-040, covered for the mower side by sibling bulletin **TNB02600050** etc.). Same defect, different equipment categories. About **4,340 John Deere Gator** utility vehicles in scope: - TH-model Gators (6x4 Diesel / 6x4 Gas variants) - TS-model Gators (4x2 work) - TX-model Gators (4x2 work) The model information is on the **vehicle's cargo box**. The serial number is on the **vertical frame directly below the driver's seat**. ### Affected serial-number ranges Only Gators with Kawasaki **FE, FH, and FJ-series** engines manufactured November 2011 - August 2012 are in scope. The CPSC notice published the following serial-number ranges: | Model | Serial range | |---|---| | TS 4x2 | 1M04X2SJ++M070915 – 1M04X2SJ++M072247 | | TX 4x2 (variant 1) | 1M04X2XC++M070040 – 1M04X2XC++M070213 | | TX 4x2 (variant 2) | 1M04X2XD++M070314 – 1M04X2XD++M072731 | | TH 6x4 | 1M06X4HD++M070049 – 1M06X4HD++M070372 | The `++` represents two engine-spec characters that vary; the encoding is documented on the John Deere product-recall page. ## Issue The **fuel filter** on the affected Kawasaki engines is the same white translucent plastic VISU-brand filter that affected mowers in CPSC 13-040 / 13-041. The filter can become brittle and crack, allowing fuel to leak. Fuel leaking near a hot engine creates a fire hazard. This is the same defect family as the mower recalls but the field reports were all on the mower side — Kawasaki recalled the UTV-installed filters proactively rather than waiting for in-field UTV failures. Reported field incidents at time of recall: - 0 incidents on Gators specifically - (110 fuel-leak reports on the mower side covered by sibling bulletins) ## What to do 1. Find the model on your Gator's cargo box and the serial number on the frame below the driver's seat. 2. Check your model and serial against the table above. 3. If your Gator is in scope, **stop using it immediately**. 4. Contact a John Deere dealer to have the fuel filter replaced. John Deere was contacting all registered owners directly at recall time. 5. Call John Deere customer service at (800) 537-8233, or visit https://www.deere.com. 6. Free dealer repair (fuel filter replacement). ## Hazard Severity is rated **critical** because the same defect family caused multiple fires on similar Kawasaki engines in the lawn mower population. ## Related bulletins - **TNB02600050-060** — CPSC 13-040 sibling bulletins covering the mower-side Kawasaki engine recall across 11 brands. The same VISU fuel filter is the underlying defect. - **TNB02600064** — CPSC 13-088 (Jan 2013) RSX850i fuel line separation. Different JD UTV defect; the RSX850i recreational UTVs are not in scope for this 13-706 bulletin (they have different engines). - **TNB02600026** — CPSC 24-256 JD Z760R (later Kawasaki recall on different engine generation) - **TNB02600028** — CPSC 2024 JD Z330M / Z330R Kawasaki FR-tube alert ## Source - U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, "John Deere Recalls Utility Vehicles Powered by Kawasaki Engines Due to Fire Hazard," recall 13-706, November 15, 2012. - John Deere recall information: https://www.deere.com/en/parts-and-service/recall-information/ ## Library notes This bulletin attaches to the existing JD Work Series UTV rows (TH 6x4 Diesel, TH 6x4 Gas, TS 4x2, TX 4x2). Those rows have year_start=2017 in the library, reflecting their continuing production, but the recall scope is narrower (Nov 2011 - Aug 2012 production with specific engine spec/serial). Owners should match by serial number against the CPSC range, not just by model name.