The Used Car Index

2018 Charles Machine Ditch Witch problems

No complaints are listed for the 2018 Charles Machine Ditch Witch. NHTSA's API and bulk file list none in this build.

Data build 2026-10-08.

NHTSA lists this vehicle as CHARLES MACHINE DITCH WITCH.

At a glance

Complaints
0
With crash
0
With fire
0
With injury (complaints)
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
0
Recalls
3
Do not drive recalls
0
Park outside recalls
0
Recall potential units (maximum)
796
Investigations
0
Open investigations
0
Manufacturer communications
0

Complaints per 100k sold unavailable. No sales source is available for this record.

Model-generated complaint tags: No complaints are listed for tagging.

Recalls

See new recalls and investigations this week.

3 recalls.

19V490000

Date: 2019-06-25. Systems: TRAILER HITCHES.

Defect: Charles Machine Works Inc (Charles Machine) is recalling certain 2018 Ditch Witch VT17, 2018-2019 VT20 and VT24 trailers. The lock nuts that attach the hitch to the trailer may be insufficient to clamp the load after the hitch height has been adjusted.

Consequence: Without a sufficient clamp load, the hitch may unexpectedly detach from the trailer, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Charles Machine has notified owners, and will provide new hardware, free of charge. The recall began June 28, 2019. Owners may contact Charles Machine customer service at 1-800-654-6481. Charles Machine's number for this recall is ID0568989.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

19V487000

Date: 2019-06-21. Systems: SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC.

Defect: Charles Machine Works Inc. (Charles Machine) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Ditch Witch VT9, VT12, VT14, VT17, VT20 and VT24 trailers. The brake wire terminals may have been improperly crimped, which can result in the trailer brakes failing to apply when commanded.

Consequence: If the trailer brakes do not apply as expected, the distance required to stop the trailer may be lengthened, increasing the risk of crash.

Remedy: Charles Machine has notified owners, and dealers will replace the brake terminals with a machine terminal, free of charge. The recall began June 25, 2019. Owners may contact Charles Machine customer service at 1-800-654-6481.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

18V727000

Date: 2018-10-18. Systems: STRUCTURE.

Defect: Charles Machine Works Inc (Charles Machine) is recalling certain 2018 Ditch Witch VT14, VT20 and VT24 trailers with HX30, HX50 or HX75 vacuum excavators equipped with an optional jib boom. The jib boom on these vehicles can become loose from the latching pin mechanism, allowing the boom to swing outside the trailer while being towed.

Consequence: If the jib boom swings outside the trailer while it is being towed, it can increase the risk of injury or a crash.

Remedy: Charles Machine will notify owners, and dealers will replace the latching pin with a hook mechanism that goes over the top of the arm, securing it to the trailer structure, free of charge. The recall began October 22, 2018. Owners may contact Charles Machine customer service at 1-800-654-6481. Charles Machine's number for this recall is ID0502488.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

Investigations

0 investigations; 0 open.

Manufacturer communications

0 manufacturer communications.

Communications by system
SystemCount

Notes on this record

  • Complaints from the API and bulk file are merged and deduplicated by ODI number; the API alone misses records.
  • System and subsystem counts are numbers of distinct complaints, recalls or communications that name them. One record can name several systems, so shares across systems can add to more than 100 percent; a single share never exceeds 100 percent.
  • Recalls are counted once per campaign, investigations once per action and manufacturer communications once per NHTSA id, even when NHTSA lists several model names for the same record.
  • A sales denominator is a calendar-year proxy, not the population of vehicles still in use. Rates are copied from verified pipeline output.
  • NHTSA's complaints API and bulk file list no complaint for this make, model and model year in this data build.

Other names NHTSA uses

None listed.

Matched NHTSA models

Matched labels and complaints
NHTSA model labelComplaints
DITCH WITCH0

Same model, other years

All model years | All Charles Machine models

Other Charles Machine models, 2018

Sources

Get this record as JSON

The free rate-limited demo needs no key.

curl "https://api.theusedcarindex.com/v1/demo/vehicle_risk?make=Charles+Machine&model=Ditch+Witch&year=2018"

Paid endpoint: https://api.theusedcarindex.com/v1/vehicle_risk. MCP endpoint: https://api.theusedcarindex.com/mcp.