2009 FREIGHTLINER CASCADIA Complaints

TIE ROD FELL OUT OF THE RACK AND PINION. TRUCK COULD NOT BE STEERED. I OWN 10 OF THESE TRUCKS AND THIS FAILURE HAS HAPPENED TO 2 OF THEM SO FAR, THE LOCAL DEALER RIVERSTATES FREIGHTLINER IN WISCONSIN SEEMS TO BE TURNING A BLIND EYE TO THE ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FREIGHTLINER CASCADIA. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THAT THE RACK AND PINION STEERING WAS DEFECTIVE AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. IN FEBRUARY OF 2010, THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V357000 (STEERING:RACK AND PINION) HOWEVER, THE MALFUNCTION RECURRED DUE TO THE REMEDY REPAIR FAILING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED A SECOND TIME FOR THE SAME FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,272. THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A BINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEN MAKE A LEFT TURN. UPDATED 03/13/12

2009 FREIGHTLINER CASCADIA, UNIT 1 WAS WESTBOUND ON IR80 IN THE RIGHT LANE. THE LEFT STEER TIRE BLEW, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE LEFT FRONT AND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *BF ACCORDING TO THE POLICE REPORT, ALL OF THE TIRES WERE IN GOOD CONDITION, INCLUDING THE TIRE THAT SHREDDED. THE OFFICER BELIEVED THE TIRE FAILURE WAS DUE TO HEAT BUILD-UP. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT # 10-0215-90)*JB UPDATED 05/11/11* BF

RACK AND PINION STEERING LOCKING ON TRUCKS WHILE GOING DOWN THE ROAD,I HAVE 4 TRUCKS ALL WITH RACK AND PINION STEERING, THEY ARE LOCKING UP SO DRIVERS CAN NOT TURN OR STEER THEM.*TR

IT APPEARS THAT A LEAK IN THE WINDSHIELD HAS CAUSED THE COMPUTER/ELECTRONICS TO GO HAYWIRE WHILE DRIVING IN A RAIN STORM. WIPERS WOULD STOP WORKING, ENGINE SHUT DOWN LIGHTS WOULD COME ON AND OFF, WINDSHIELD WASHERS JUST STARTED SHOOTING FLUID ONTO THE WINDSHIELD, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND DIDN'T GO OFF. SEVERAL OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS STOPPED WORKING. THE COMPUTER AND FUSE BLOCK WAS REPLACED. PRIOR TO THE MAJOR PROBLEMS THEY TRIED TO REPAIR THE LEAK 4 TIMES. THE 5TH TIME THEY THOUGHT THEY FOUND THE LEAK IN A MARKER LIGHT ABOVE THE WINDSHIELD HOWEVER THAT MAY HAVE BEEN JUST ANOTHER LEAK BECAUSE THE LEAK IS STILL THERE AFTER DRIVING IN A STORM YESTERDAY. *TR

I HAVE A 2009 FREIGHTLINER CASCADIA EQUIPPED WITH AIR DISC BRAKES, WHEN THE TRUCK WAS APPROX. 6 WEEKS OLD A BRAKE ASSEMBLY DID NOT RELEASE PROPERLY AND CAUGHT FIRE WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. TRUCK IS NOW A YEAR OLD AND A SECOND BRAKE ASSEMBLY HAS CAUGHT FIRE FOR NO REASON. *TR

ADDENDUM ODI 10281432: I MADE A COMPLAINT ABOUT DEFECTIVE RACK AND PINIONS ON FREIGHTLINER 2009 "CASCADIA" MODELS ON AUG. 23, 2009. ON AUG. 24, 2009 ONE WAS OVERNIGHTED AT THE BEHEST OF FREIGHTLINER TO MY LEASED TO COMPANY C. R. ENGLAND, INC. WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY PURCHASED ALL AVAILABLE RACK AND PINIONS OFF THE MARKET TO "QUIETLY/ SECRETLY" REPAIR IT'S FLEET. ON AUG. 31, 2009 NHTSA BEGAN AN OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION AND C.R. ENGLAND, INC, WITH FREIGHTLINER'S HELP ISSUED IT'S OWN RECALL OF THE DEFECTIVE RACK AND PINIONS THAT SAME DATE. ON SEP. 2, 2009 I WAS Q-COMMED BY MY DM FOR CRE TO CALL HIM ASAP. I DID SO AND HE INFORMED ME THAT MY NEW RACK AND PINION WAS ALSO DEFECTIVE AND HAD TO BE REPAIRED AND TO HAVE IT DONE IN BURNS HARBOR, IN SOME 998 MILES AWAY! I WAS JUST A MILE AWAY FROM FREIGHTLINER DEALERSHIP IN CHEYENNE, WY AND HAD THE REPAIRS DONE THEIR AND I HAVE FAXED THAT PROOF TO NHTSA. ON SEP 4, 2009 CRE RETALIATED AGAINST ME BY ASSIGNING A LOAD OF SOME 850 MILES THAT DELIVERED ON SEP. 9, 2009. I WAS ALREADY DOWN SOME THREE WEEKS WAITING FOR A RACK AND PINION, WITH FIXED COSTS OF LEASE AT $762.50 PER WEEK, AND A SHORT WEEK FROM THE FRIDAY BEFORE AND NOW ANOTHER SHORT WEEK FROM POCATELLO, ID TO BURNS, HARBOR, IN AND THIS "RETALIATION" LOAD THAT WOULD NOT BE ADDED TO THE NEXT WEEKS PAY EITHER - WEEK ENDS AT MIDNIGHT ON TUESDAY!!!! IN OTHER WORDS MY FAMILY WOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED TO EAT AGAIN WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED CONTRACT TO BE FORCED INTO EFFECT ON SEPTEMBER 21, 2009 BY CRE ON ALL OF ITS IC'S! THUS IN "LIGHT" OF THIS PLANNED RETALIATION BY CRE AGAINST ME AND MY FAMILY I WILL TERMINATE MY CONTRACT WITH CRE ON SEP. 8, 2009 BY TURNING IN THIS 2009 FREIGHTLIINER CASCADIA WITH A STILL DEFECTIVE NEW AND "REPAIRED" RACK AND PINION. *TR

I AM AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR FOR CR ENGLAND, INC. (TRUCKING) I LEASED A 2009 FREIGHTLINER, WHICH HAS A DEFECTIVE RACK AND PINION STEERING AS HAVE DOZENS/ HUNDREDS OF OTHERS OF THE SAME MODEL THIS YEAR! WHY HASN'T THIS MAJOR SAFETY DEFECT BEEN FORMALLY RECALLED? IS IT BECAUSE ALL OF THE DRIVERS HAVE REPORTED THE INTENSE LOSS OF FRONT TIRE RUBBER AND THE DEFECTS THUS FAR HAVE BEEN FORTUNATELY REPORTED AND REPAIRED WITHOUT A MASSIVE ROAD ACCIDENT THAT MIGHT CLAIM HUNDREDS/ THOUSANDS OF LIVES IF CARRYING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS? LOSS OF STEERING WOULD BE ABOUT THE WORST THING THAT A FULLY LOADED TRACTOR COULD HAVE GO WRONG OTHER THAN BRAKES FAILING IN A SUBURB SETTING. IN ADDITION, NO RACK AND PINIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO REPLACE MINE ANYWHERE, ACCORDING TO MY DEALERSHIP LOCATED ON DANIEL PAYNE DRIVE IN B'HAM, AL., BECAUSE OF THE NUMEROUS ONES ALREADY REPLACED HAS COMPLETELY DEPLETED THE AVAILABLE STOCK! MAYBE ONE OF YOUR LOVED ONES WILL NOT BE KILLED BY THIS HEINOUS DEFECT. *TR THE CONSUMER REFERENCED RECALL # 03V357000. UPDATED 04/07/10.*JB

IT APPEARS THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL ON MY TRUCK DOES NOT WORK WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS, WIPERS OR FLASHERS ARE ON. THERE ARE NO WARNINGS, NOTICES, STICKERS OR DOCUMENTATION THAT CAME WITH THE TRUCK ADVISING THAT THIS WOULD OCCUR. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS A SAFETY FEATURE INCORPORATED INTO ALL NEW FREIGHTLINER TRUCKS BUT THEY NEGLECT TO TELL YOU BEFORE OR AFTER GETTING ONE. 2 OCCURRENCES WHEN I WAS TAKEN BY SURPRISE THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING WHEN USING THE FLASHERS AND WIPERS. FIRST: THIS CRUISE CONTROL ISSUE ALMOST GOT ME KILLED WHEN I WENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANOTHER DRIVER WHO FLASHED HIS LIGHTS TO LET ME BACK INTO THE RIGHT LANE AFTER PASSING HIM. I USED THE FOUR WAY FLASHER TO THANK HIM HOWEVER WHEN I DID THE TRUCKS CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING AND THE ENGINE BRAKE SLOWED ME DOWN AND THE DRIVER THAT HAD JUST LET ME IN FRONT OF HIM ALMOST RAN INTO THE BACK OF THE TRUCK. SECOND: IT OCCURRED AGAIN WHEN AFTER A SNOW STORM AND THE ROADS WERE DRY BUT SNOW HAD BEEN MELTING SO THERE WERE SPOTS ON THE ROADWAY THAT WERE WET AND WHEN A VEHICLE PASSED ME WATER WOULD SPLASH UP ON THE WINDSHIELD AND I USED THE WIPER TO CLEAR UP THE WINDSHIELD AND AGAIN THE CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING AND AGAIN I SLOWED DOWN ALTHOUGH THIS TIME THERE WAS NO ONE THAT CLOSE BEHIND ME. BUT IT DID TAKE ME BY SURPRISE AND I LOST MY CONCENTRATION OF DRIVING TRYING TO SEE WHAT HAD HAPPEN. *TR