FREIGHTLINER Complaints

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THEN TRACTOR STARTING LOOSING POWER. TOOK TO W.W. WILLIAMS DETROIT DIESEL. THEY FOUND DELTA P SENSOR OUT OF CALIBRATION. V-POD CUTTING OUT, TURBO HAD EXCESSIVE PLAY IN VNT. THEY REPLACED THE V-POD WHICH WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED IN MARCH 2013. PROBLEMS. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, LOW POWER, BACK FIRES, PUFFS BLACK SMOKE. OIL LEAK BY TURBO. WW WILLIAMS STATED CAUSE AS BAD V-POD, TURBO DRAIN LINE. WW WILLLIAMS FOUND V-POD CUTTING OUT AND REPLACED V-POD AGAIN UNDER WARRANTY, TURBO DRAIN LINED REPLACED. SAME PROBLEM AGAIN ON 5/27/13 CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, LOOSING POWER. TOOK BACK TO WW WILLIAMS, THEY STATED CODE 39 CAME UP, BAD INJECTORS. REPLACED ALL INJECTORS, NOT UNDER WARRANTY. REPLACED V-POD AGAIN, UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

THE POWER WIRE COMING FROM THE ALTERNATOR (APPROX. 4 GAUGE WIRE CABLE & ENCASED IN PROTECTIVE SLEEVE), WEARS THRU BY RUBBING ON THE WIRES SUPPORT ASSEMBLY EXPOSING THE WIRE. THE WIRE SUPPORT ASSEMBLY LOCATED ON THE TRUCKS UNDERSIDE, THERE ARE (2) TWO INDIVIDUAL WIRE SUPPORTS, BOTH OF THESE ASSEMBLIES ARE RUBBING AT BOTH LOCATIONS EXPOSING THE POWER WIRE IN TWO PLACES. CREATING THE POTENTIAL FOR A FIRE HAZARD. *TR

M2 106 MODEL STARTED PRESENTING MAJOR OIL LEAK ONE MONTH AGO. REPLACED OIL PAN GASKET, BUT DIDN'T CORRECT PROBLEM. AFTER MECHANIC VERIFICATION, IT TURNS OUT IT IS THE FRONT CRANKSHAFT OIL SEAL. MECHANIC STATED HE HAS SEEN QUITE A FEW FREIGHT MODELS EQUIPPED WITH THE CAT3126 WITH OIL LEAK PROBLEMS FROM THE SAME CRANKSHAFT OIL SEAL. *TR

DRIVING AT 60MPH HIGHWAY LIMIT. WITHOUT WARNING OR VIBRATION, FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL BEARING BROKE OFF, SENDING THE TIRE/WHEEL FLYING OFF THE HIGHWAY HILL, DOWN THE ACCESS ROAD, AND SMASHING AGAINST A BANK STONE WALL, AFTER IT BROKE THROUGH A 2ND STAND ALONE STONE WALL. LUCKY WE COULD STOP THE TRUCK WITHOUT FLIPPING OVER AND LUCKY FLYING WHEEL/TIRE DID NOT HIT ANY VEHICLES, AS IT HAPPENED DURING LUNCH TRAFFIC HOURS. BEARING COMPLETELY BROKE OFF. WAS MADE RESPONSIBLE FOR SECOND HAND COLLISION, PROPERTY DAMAGES, AND TXDOT $400 TOWING CHARGES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FREIGHLINER CASCADIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY AND A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 438,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FREIGHTLINER SPRINTER 2500. THE CONTACT STATED AFTER RECEIVING A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V410000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT REMEDY THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE DEALER NOT BEING ABLE TO WORK ON VANS. THE CONTACT THEN CALLED THE MANUFACTURER TO FIND OUT WHERE TO TAKE THE VEHICLE. THE NEAREST DEALER WAS TOO FAR TO DRIVE FOR THE CONTACT. THE MANUFACTURER THEN STATED TO CALL FREIGHTLINER REGARDING THE RECALL. FREIGHTLINER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR OF THIS VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

SEMI-ANNUAL INSPECTION SHOWED A CRACK IN THE FRAME RAIL THAT STARTED IN A THIN AREA OF THE FRAME FLANGE. THIS CRACK IS JUST BEHIND THE LEFT CAB MOUNT ON THE LEFT FRAME RAIL. THE CRACK EXTENDS COMPLETELY THROUGH THE FLANGE AND APPROXIMATELY 1 1/2" UP THE SIDE OF THE FRAME RAIL. HAD THIS GONE UNFOUND, IT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A COMPLETELY SPLIT FRAME RAIL OF THE TRUCK. COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND ACCIDENT ON A HIGHWAY WOULD HAVE BEEN THE RESULT. DAIMLER FREIGHTLINER WILL NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS FACTORY DEFECT. PER MIKE ELDRIGDE, "IT IS OUT OF THE 72 MONTH, 750,000 MILE WARRANTY." I DO HAVE PICTURES OF THE DEFECT PRIOR TO FIXING IT. *TR

WE HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE FUEL FILTER HOUSINGS STARTING TO SEEP FUEL THROUGH THE HOUSING ASSEMBLIES IN THE MBE ENGINES. WE HAVE HAD TWO OTHER UNITS WITH THE SAME ISSUE THAT WE HAD TO HAVE REPAIRED AND WE HAVE ONE OTHER VEHICLE IN THE SHOP CURRENTLY WITH THE SAME ISSUE. THESE UNITS WILL START TO LEAK FUEL AND WILL DRAIN THE FILTER HOUSING OVERNIGHT LEAKING FUEL ON THE ENGINE AND THE GROUND, AND UNDER THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES MAY BECOME A POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD..WE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE AN ISOLATED INCIDENT BUT AFTER FOUR INCIDENTS AND THE PART BEING BACKORDERED WE THINK THIS MAY BE A BIGGER PROBLEM. *TR

THE LF CORNER OF THE CAB IS OUT OF SQUARE ABOUT 3 INCHES. THE ALIGNMENT SHOP SAID THE FRAME IS STRAIGHT AND THE PROBLEM IS IN THE LEAF SPRINGS, WHICH ARE WORN OUT. THEY BLOCKED THE SPRING 1", AND WHILE THE CAB NOW SITS SQUARE (YES, THEY ALIGNED THE FRONT END TOO, OF COURSE), THE PROBLEM IS THE TRUCK FEELS FUNNY TO DRIVE. IT SEEMS TO GIVE A LITTLE WIGGLE/SHIMMY OVER EXPANSION CRACKS, WHICH I DON'T THINK IT DID PREVIOUSLY. MEANWHILE, WE HAVE AN AUGUST 2010 INVOICE (BASICALLY 2 YEARS AGO) WHERE THE TRUCK WENT IN FOR REPAIR WITH A CLICKING NOISE IN THE FRONT AND FREIGHTLINER OF ORLANDO BILLED FOR REPLACING BOTH FRONT LEAF SPRINGS, SHACKLES, ETC. THE THING IS, THE INVOICES ALSO RECORD THE MILEAGE AND THAT WAS ONLY 2000 MILES AGO BECAUSE THE TRUCK SAT THE LAST FEW YEARS (AS BUSINESS WENT INTO THE TOILET). SO I TOOK THE TRUCK BACK TO THEM AND THEY LOOKED UP THE RECORD AND THEN BEGAN A SONG AND DANCE ABOUT HOW IF IT HAD BEEN REPORTED INSIDE A YEAR", YADA, YADA. I WONDERED OUT LOUD IF PERHAPS THE WRONG SPRINGS HAD BEEN INSTALLED ON THE TRUCK (CHATTING WITH THE SHOP FOREMAN) THINKING THEY MIGHT INVESTIGATE AND RECONSIDER. THEN THE SONG AND DANCE BECAME ABOUT HOW THEY WERE SLAMMED WITH WORK RIGHT NOW AND MAYBE I COULD COME BACK NEXT WEEK SO IT BEING TWO DAYS BEFORE THANKSGIVING, I AGREED TO RETURN NEXT WEEK. MEANWHILE, I'M WONDERING ABOUT THE PROPER FRONT LEAF SPRINGS FOR THE TRUCK, WHICH IS A 2001 CENTURY S/T EXPEDITER. THE WHEELBASE (I MEASURED IT) IS ABOUT 298 INCHES, WHICH I SUSPECT IS RATHER LONGER THAN A CONVENTIONAL DUAL DRIVE-AXLE TRUCK WITH 5TH WHEEL. THE PART NUMBER VISIBLE ON BOTH FRONT LEAF SPRINGS IS A16-15657-000. COULD THERE BE A BATCH OF BAD SPRINGS? ALSO, I FIGURE JOSAM IN ORLANDO (THE FRAME ALIGNMENT SPECIALISTS WHO BLOCKED THE TRUCK 1") WOULDN'T HAVE DONE SO IF THIS WERE A SAFETY CONCERN, RIGHT? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FREIGHTLINER CASCADIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SEAT LOST AIR PRESSURE RAPIDLY, CAUSING HIM TO SLAM INTO THE FLOOR LOSING SIGHT OF THE ROADWAY AND HIS FOOTING. THE FAILURE RECURRED REPEATEDLY. THE CONTACT DEVELOPED A COMPRESSED DISC IN HIS NECK AND DAMAGED HIS BRACHIAL PLEXUS, CAUSING A LOSS OF THE FULL FUNCTION OF HIS RIGHT ARM AND HANDS.THE CONTACT ALERTED THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE AND BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 11/13/12 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE IS OWNED BY SCHNEIDER TRUCKING. THE AIR VALVE FOR THE SEAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 11/29/2012 *JS UPDATED 12/12/12 *BF UPDATED 12/19/2012 *JS