FREIGHTLINER Complaints

TAKATA RECALL FOR DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT AIRBAG NOTIFIED ME A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND THEN NOTIFIED ME TO CONTACT THE LOCAL MERCEDES-BENZ/DAIMLER DEALER, WHICH I DID, BUT THEY SAY THEY HAVE NOT GOT A REPLACEMENT TO INSTALL IN MY VEHICLE. I HAD ALREADY HAD THE PASSENGER AIRBAG REPLACED ON A SIMILAR RECALL. I HAVE HAD NO ACTUAL INCIDENT YET WITH MY ALREADY RECALLED VEHICLE.

I HAVE HAD 4 BRAKE FAILURES DUE TO STUCK CALIPERS AND SEVERE OVERHEATING AND LOSS OF BRAKES DUE TO BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. ALL 4 WHEELS HAVE BEEN AFFECTED AT DIFFERENT TIMES. TWO WERE WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND TWO WHILE DRIVING ON SECONDARY ROADS. TWO OF THE FAILURES REQUIRED TOWING TO THE REPAIR FACILITY. THE BRAKES ARE BOSCH DISC BRAKES WITH 66MM DUAL PISTONS, THE TIMELINE ON THE STUCK CALIPERS IS AS FOLLOWS; JUNE 20, 2012, 50,908 MILES, RIGHT REAR CALIPER STUCK AND LOST BRAKES, TOWED TO FREIGHTLINER SERVICE CENTER, MAY 20, 2016, 74,326 MILES, LEFT REAR CALIPER STUCK, LOST BRAKES, JULY 14, 2017, 80837 MILES LEFT FRONT CALIPER STUCK LOST BRAKES AND WAS TOWED, SEPT. 8, 2017, 84,000 MILES, RIGHT FRONT CALIPER STUCK AND GOT VERY HOT, I STOPPED AND LET THE BRAKE COOL AND MADE IT HOME AND THEN REPLACED CALIPER. THE BRAKES HAVE GOTTEN SO HOT THAT THE CALIPER, ROTOR AND PADS AND ABS SENSORS ALSO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED EVERY TIME. AS FAR AS I AM AWARE, BOSCH HAS NOT ISSUED ANY RECALL OR SAFETY NOTICE ON WHY THIS HAPPENS OR HOW TO PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING. A SCAN ON THE INTERNET REVEALS THAT THIS HAPPENS A LOT WITH THIS BRAKING SYSTEM. DUE TO THE EXTREME DANGER THAT THIS CONDITION CAUSES, BOSCH SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.

ON AUGUST 22, 2017, MY HUSBAND AND I WERE TRAVELING NORTHBOUND ON I-55 NEAR LITCHFIELD, ILLINOIS. A SEMI TRUCK OWNED BY ARNOLD JAMES KNAGGS OF CARSONVILLE, MICHIGAN, WAS TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND. AT APPROXIMATELY NOON ON THAT DATE, TWO WHEELS DETACHED FROM THAT TRUCK. ONE WHEEL CAME TO REST IN THE WIDE GRASSY MEDIAN; THE OTHER WHEEL BARRELED ACROSS THE MEDIAN AND STRUCK THE MINIVAN IN WHICH MY HUSBAND AND I WERE TRAVELING. ALL WINDOWS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE SHATTERED AND THE SLIDING PASSENGER DOOR WAS RIPPED OFF THE VEHICLE. HE VAN WAS TOTALED. IF MY HUSBAND HAD NOT TAKEN EVASIVE ACTION AT THE LAST SECOND, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED OR KILLED. THE ILLINOIS TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT CITES PROBLEMS WITH THE TRUCK TIRES AND NOTES THAT VEHICLE CONDITION WAS THE PRIMARY CONTRIBUTORY CAUSE OF THE CRASH. THE DRIVER WAS CITED FOR DRIVING WITH A SUSPENDED CDL AND FOR DRIVING A TRUCK WITH LOOSE OR MISSING WHEEL BOLTS. THE QUESTION 'DID MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY REGULATIONS (MCS) VIOLATION CONTRIBUTE TO THE CRASH?' WAS ANSWERED 'YES' BY THE STATE TROOPER ON THE SCENE.

ON AUGUST 9TH, 2017 WE EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE FIRE UPON STARTING OUR 2016 NEWMAR DUTCHSTAR MOTORHOME. ON SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2017 THE FIRE INVESTIGATORS REPRESENTING NATIONAL INTERSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY, NEWMAR CORPORATION, FREIGHTLINER CUSTOM CHASSIS CORPORATION AND CUMMINS ENGINE DID THEIR INVESTIGATION WHICH MY HUSBAND ATTENDED. ALL PRESENT CONCURRED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE MATCHED WHAT WAS DESCRIBED IN NEWMAR RECALL 16V809 (FREIGHTLINER IMPROPERLY ROUTED THE POWER STEERING HOSE TOO CLOSE TO THE STARTER SO THAT IT RUBS ON THE STARTER LUG. THE ABRASION RESULTS IN A SHORT CIRCUIT, AN ELECTRICAL ARC, AND A POWER STEERING FLUID LEAK RESULTING IN A FIRE THAT ALSO BURNS THROUGH THE DIESEL FUEL LINE FURTHER FUELING THE FIRE.) THIS RECALL DID NOT INCLUDE THE THE MANUFACTURE DATE OF OUR MOTORHOME AND THEREFORE WE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS RECALL. OUR COACH WAS MANUFACTURED IN THE SUMMER OF 2015 AND THE RECALL MANUFACTURE START DATE WAS JANUARY 2016. IF WE HAD BEEN PART OF THE RECALL OUR LIVES AND PROPERTY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PUT AT RISK! THE RECKLESS DISREGARD FOR THE SAFETY OF COACH OWNERS, DEMONSTRATED BY NEWMAR AND FREIGHTLINER, BY NOT INCLUDING OUR COACH IN THIS RECALL IS UNCONSCIONABLE. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR OTHER INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE COACHES WITH THIS FREIGHTLINER CHASSIS. IF THIS FIRE OCCURRED WHILE WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD MY HUSBAND AND I MAY HAVE BEEN KILLED IN ADDITION TO OTHER PEOPLE ON THE ROAD AROUND US.

WINDOW IS COMING LOOSE AND SEPARATING FROM BODY. KNOWN MANUFACTURER DEFECT. ASKED FOR REPAIR IN 2009 AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE DIDN'T HAVE THE ISSUE YET (AS MANY OTHERS WITH SAME YEAR/MAKE/MODEL DID), SO MANUFACTURER WOULDN'T CORRECT THE DEFECT AT THE TIME. FIRST NOTICED ON 9/1/17. HIT COMMON ROAD HAZARD ON 8/27/2017 TRAVELLING 40 MPH (DIP IN ROAD). THE ISSUE HAS BEEN REPORTED BY OTHER OWNERS AND REPAIR EXPERTS AS A DESIGN DEFECT AND LACK OF SUFFICIENT BRACING OF FRONT CAB/WINDSHIELD KNOWN AS A "HALO" SUBSTRUCTURE. RISK OF WINDOW FALLING OUT WHILE DRIVING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 (NA) FLEETWOOD PACE ARROW. THE CHASSIS WAS A 2016 FREIGHTLINER X LINE MOTORHOME. WHILE DRIVING THE RV AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED, THE CABINETS WERE STRUCTURALLY SOUND, BUT BECAME DETACHED WITHOUT WARNING. ONLY TWO OF THE SCREWS REMAINED HOLDING CABINTRY FROM COMPLETELY FAILING. IN ADDITION, THERE WERE INTERIOR FAILURES. THE DEALER (LAZYDAYS RV, 3200 E IRVINGTON RD, TUCSON, AZ 85714, 1 (800) 306-4011) WAS NOTIFIED. THE RV WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICING AND WAS WAITING FOR THE APPROVAL FROM THE MANUFACTURER TO DETERMINE A SOLUTION TO REPAIR THE RV. THE CONTACT WAS UNCERTAIN IF THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *BF *TR

ROLL PIN WHICH SECURES PARK BRAKE KNOB ROUTINELY WORKS IT WAY OUT OF THE KNOB AND PREVENTS (DEPENDING ON WHAT POSITION VALVE IS IN) EITHER APPLICATION OR RELEASE OF PARKING BRAKE. OCCURS WHEN VEHICLE IS STATIONARY AND USING PARKING BRAKE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FREIGHTLINER CASCADIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT OPERABLE. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. THE CHECK ENGINE AND VARIOUS OTHER WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE DEF ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURES RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AND THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 585,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 N/A FREIGHTLINER B2 BUS CHASSIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE ON A DOWN HILL SLOP COVERED WITH SNOW AND ICE, THE BUS WAS IDLING FORWARD WHEN THE VEHICLE AHEAD SUDDENLY STOPPED. THE DRIVER IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND INSTANTLY FELT THE ABS PULSATING ON ALL 4 WHEELS PREVENTING THE BRAKES FROM STOPPING THE BUS WHICH CONTINUED TO DRIVE FORWARD AND CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. DURING THE CRASH, NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILE AT THE SCENE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000. ...UPDATED 10/19/17 *BF UPDATED 10/26/2017*JS

ECM ENGINE CONTROL MODULE MALFUNCTION. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS. THE M2 COMPLETELY SHUT OFF WHILE TRAVELING AT MODERATE SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY THE NO. 2 LANE. THE DRIVER MADE EVERY EFFORT TO REACH THE SHOULDER AS THE M2 ROLLED DEAD.