Deadly Brake Flaw Triggers Massive Recall

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Federal safety regulators say a cracked brake part on more than 20,000 off-road motorcycles could get someone killed.

Quick Take

  • KTM North America is recalling about 21,040 GASGAS and Husqvarna off-road motorcycles in the United States over a rear brake caliper defect.
  • The recall covers 2022-2024 Husqvarna FE 350 and FE 501 models and 2024 GASGAS ES 350 and ES 500 models.
  • Federal regulators say the caliper pin can crack while the vehicle is rolling backward, increasing the risk of brake failure and a crash that could cause serious injury or death.
  • Dealers will replace the rear brake caliper for free once owners bring their bikes in.

What Regulators Found Wrong With The Brakes

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) filed a formal safety recall report on July 15, 2026, spelling out the exact failure.

The rear brake caliper, made by JJuan/Braktec, has a primary pin casting that can crack or break when the bike rolls backward.

Once that pin fails, the caliper bracket can also crack, and the whole caliper can break apart while the rider is moving forward.

That is not a small technical footnote. It means a rider backing a bike out of a garage or truck bed could unknowingly damage the part, then lose rear braking power minutes later on a trail or street.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission made the stakes plain in its own notice, warning the defect “poses a risk of serious injury or death due to crash hazard”.

Which Bikes And How Many Riders Are Affected

Fox Business reported that KTM North America is recalling roughly 21,040 GASGAS and Husqvarna off-road motorcycles sold in the United States.

The affected lineup spans three model years and two brands, which tells you this defect came from a shared supplier part, not a one-off design flaw on a single bike.

NHTSA’s report names the recalling firm as “KTM North America, dba GASGAS North America and Husqvarna Mobility North America”.

The recall list includes 2022 through 2024 Husqvarna FE 350 and FE 501 models, along with 2024 GASGAS ES 350 and ES 500 models.

RideApart’s coverage from July 16, 2026, matched the same mechanical explanation, describing how the caliper pin cracks under backward rolling stress and can later fail during normal forward riding. Owners of these specific models should treat this as a direct warning, not background noise.

What Owners Should Do Right Now

The fix is straightforward and free. NHTSA’s recall report says dealers will replace the rear brake caliper at no cost to the owner.

Riders with an affected bike should contact a KTM, Husqvarna, or GASGAS dealer, confirm that their model and year are covered by the recall, and schedule the caliper swap before putting more miles on the bike.

Owner notification letters typically follow dealer notice by weeks, so riders should not wait for a letter to arrive before checking.

This recall builds on a pattern regulators know well: manufacturers must report a known safety defect to NHTSA within five business days of confirming it exists, then arrange a free remedy for every owner.

That legal deadline is why recall notices often surface fast, with fuller engineering details following later as dealers process repairs.

A Second Brake Recall In Recent Memory

This is not the first brake-related recall tied to these brands. Trade outlet The Brake Report previously covered a separate KTM recall involving a front brake caliper defect on similar models.

That earlier campaign involved a different component and a different failure mode, so riders should not confuse the two.

Still, back-to-back brake recalls on related model lines are the kind of pattern that understandably makes owners want straight answers and fast repairs.

For riders who count on these off-road machines for work, competition, or weekend trails, brakes are not a place to gamble. The remedy here is simple, free, and already available at dealers.

Anyone riding a 2022-2024 Husqvarna FE 350, FE 501, or a 2024 GASGAS ES 350 or ES 500 should check their bike’s status immediately and get the caliper swapped before their next ride.

Sources:

motorsportsnewswire.com, motorcycle.com, static.nhtsa.gov, thebrakereport.com, rideapart.com

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