Why did Vanderhall recall every Brawley electric ROV built since 2024?

Vanderhall North America has recalled all Model Year 2024 through 2026 Brawley GTS electric recreational off-road vehicles. The seat belts can lock in the fully retracted position and stay locked, leaving the driver and passenger unable to buckle up while the machine is moving.

What the Brawley is

The Brawley GTS is an electric side-by-side built for trails and dunes. It carries two people, runs on batteries, and wears the Vanderhall badge on the lower door panel. About 190 units left the Provo, Utah factory between April 2024 and June 2026. Dealers in Utah, Ohio, Michigan, Texas, and Montana sold them. Dealers in North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Arizona also carried them. The price was roughly $50,000 each. Nine paint options were offered. Ivory White and Obsidian Black were available. Royal Blue and Ida Rose were available. Bosco Blue and Atomic Green were available. Rossa and Jean Gray were available. Emerald Green Metallic completed the palette.

How the seat belt fails

Each seat uses a retractor that spools the webbing into a guide slot. Under certain conditions the retractor can engage its locking pawl while the belt is fully stowed. Once that happens the mechanism will not release. The webbing stays trapped inside the housing. A driver who climbs in finds no belt to pull across the chest. The vehicle can still be driven, but there is no restraint system. Vanderhall has received 11 reports of this lockup. No injuries have been reported.

The repair inserts a speed limiter

The remedy does not replace the retractor. A technician installs a small insert into the guide slot on each seat. That insert adds friction and slows the retraction speed. Slower retraction prevents the pawl from snapping into the locked position. The repair is free and must be scheduled through an authorized Vanderhall dealer. Owners are told to stop using the vehicle until the insert is fitted.

Finding your VIN

Every recalled unit carries a VIN under the dashboard on the driver side. The 2024 range runs from XXXXXXXXXXX005927 through XXXXXXXXXXX005990. The 2025 range runs from XXXXXXXXXXX005992 through XXXXXXXXXXX006074. The 2026 range runs from XXXXXXXXXXX006077 through XXXXXXXXXXX006152. If your VIN falls inside any of those spans the recall applies.

What happens next

Vanderhall will contact known owners by mail. The recall number is 27-064. Questions can go to inquiry@vanderhallusa.com. The notice does not say how many of the 190 vehicles are still in active use.