1996 Altec Aerial Device: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 1996 Altec Aerial Device
No owner has filed a defect report with NHTSA about the 1996 Altec Aerial Device. That is not a clean bill of health — it usually means few were sold, or the year is too new for problems to have surfaced.
Recalls on the 1996 model year
NHTSA has issued 2 recall campaigns covering the 1996 Altec Aerial Device, affecting an estimated 595 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover equipment. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.
EQUIPMENT
141 vehicles 2020-07-20- Defect
- Altec Industries, Inc. (Altec) is recalling certain 1995-1998 Altec A0442 aerial devices. The boom lift hydraulic cylinder end gland may fail causing uncontrolled boom movement.
- Consequence
- Uncontrolled movement of the boom can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Altec will notify owners, and instruct them to inspect the boom lift cylinders for an externally threaded head gland design. The customer will be instructed whether the unit can be used with restricted lower and/or upper boom articulation until the cylinder(s) are repaired or replaced, free of charge. The recall began September 14, 2020. Owners may contact Altec customer service at 1-877-462-5832. Altec's number for this recall is MAB 770.
EQUIPMENT
2,194 vehicles 2016-11-17- Defect
- Altec Industries Inc. (Altec) is recalling certain model year 1995-1999 Aerial Device trucks manufactured May 1, 1995, to August 15, 1999 and equipped with Rosenboom Machine and Tool lower boom lift cylinders. The cylinder end gland could fail which could cause uncontrolled boom movement.
- Consequence
- Uncontrolled boom movement may increase the risk of injury to the operator or bystanders.
- Remedy
- Altec will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the boom, and repair or replace the cylinder, free of charge. The recall began on January 13, 2017. Owners may contact Altec customer service at 1-205-991-7733.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
Every year of the Altec Aerial Device
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Why this page is short
A model year needs about 8 reports before percentiles mean anything, and this one does not have them. Complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road, so a thin page usually means a rare car, a new car, or a car whose owners do not file.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed