FREIGHTLINER Complaints

CLUTCH EXPLODE GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND LOCKED TRUCK IN GEAR AND FRAGMENTS WENT THOUGHT THE BELL HOUSING. COULD HAVE HIT OTHER AUTOS ON HGHWAY OR COULD HAVE SENT FRAGMENT INTO CAB OF TRUCK AND INJURED OR KILLED DRIVER.DRIVER HAD TRUCK LOCKED IN GEAR AND WAS LUCKY TO GET TRUCK STOPED BEFORE HITTING OTHER CARS

CLUTCH EXPLODE GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND LOCKED TRUCK IN GEAR AND FRAGMENTS WENT THOUGHT THE BELL HOUSING. COULD HAVE HIT OTHER AUTOS ON HGHWAY OR COULD HAVE SENT FRAGMENT INTO CAB OF TRUCK AND INJURED OR KILLED DRIVER.

LOUD BANGING NOISE BETWEEN DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS. SOUNDS LIKE WHEEL MAY BE COMING OFF AXLE. STEERING WONDERS AND HAS TOO MUCH FREE PLAY IN STEERING WHEEL. BELIEVED TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE. TOOK TO NEWMAR TO HAVE IT ROAD TESTED. NEWMAR SENT TO FREIGHTLINER SERVICE DEALER IN SOUTH BEND. 5/06/05 SOUTH BEND FREIGHTLINER SERVICE DEALER STATED SWAY BAR HITTING RF SPRING AND FRONT LOWER SHOCK BOLTS LOOSE. ADJUSTED RIDE HEIGHT 1/4 INCH AND INFLATED BACK TIRES FOR 80 TO 110 PSI. ADJUSTED FRONT BRAKES. THIS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. SERVICE DEPT WOULD NOT STATE IF RV WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. 5/12/05 TOOK RV TO MY SERVICE COMPANY TO BE CHECKED FOR SAME COMPLAINT. BECAUSE FREIGHTLINER SERVICE PERSON WOULD NOT OR COULD NOT GIVE WARRANTY AUTHORIZATION, THEY SHIMMED STABILIZER BUSHINGS WITH TWO WASHERS ON TOP AND TWO ON BOTTOM OF BUSHING WHICH SHOULD PROVIDE A MORE SAFE RIDE TO THE FREIGHTLINER FACTORY IN SOUTH CAROLINA. MASTER FLEET STATED BAD STEERING WANDERING PROBLEM, POSSIBLE PLAY IN STEERING BOX. TIGHTENED LOOSE BOLTS. POUNDING NOISE STILL IN FRONT END. 6/09/05 APPOINTMENT WITH FREIGHTLINER SET FOR TWO DAYS. PLAY IN STEERING CHECKED DRAG LINKS, TIE RODS AND SHOCKS - MECHANIC STATED OK. FRONT END BANGING NOISE - MECHANIC STATED TIGHTENED RIGHT FRONT SPRING BOLT -BUSHINGS OK. REQUESTED UNIT TO BE ALIGNED. MECHANIC STATED ALIGNMENT OK. THIS TOOK 21/2 HOURS. OF A TWO DAY SCHEDULE. WENT BACK IN THE NEXT DAY. BOLTS WHICH WERE TIGHTEN WERE ON THE AXLE SUPPORT WHICH WERE TO BE TORQED AT 600 FT LBS. RV WAS PUT ON LAZER ALIGNMENT -RV WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT. LEFT SIDE AXLE SUPPORT NUT OVER TORQUED. BOTH NUTS WERE REPLACED. BOLTS WERE NOT REPLACED. STILL BELIEVE THERE IS A SAFETY ISSUE. WHEN THE RV HAS ONLY BEEN TRAVELING A FEW MILES THE STEERING IS BETTER THAN WHEN IT HAS WARMED UP. IF TWO CURVES ARE BACK TO BACK THE STEERING WHEEL MUST BE OVER COMPENSATED FOR THE NEXT CURVE. WIND AND LARGE TRUCKS REQUIRES FOR OVER COMPENSATION OF THE STEERING WHEEL.

DT: THE TIRE BLEW OUT. JUST DID A WALK AROUND 2 MILES BEFORE, THE TRAILER WAS EMPTY. THE TIRE WENT COMPLETELY OFF THE RIM AND OFF INTO THE BRUSH. NO TRUCK DAMAGE BUT THE RIM IS NOT USABLE.*AK

DT: FUMES COMING INSIDE EQUIPMENT THROUGH AIR VENTS OF TRUCK. THE TRUCK WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER 3-4 DIFFERENT TIMES AND THE PROBLEM WAS NEVER FIXED. THESE FUMES CAUSED HEADACHES, NAUSEA,BURNING EYES, AND HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. NOW, DIAGNOSED WITH COPD. HAVE TALKED TO OTHER DRIVERS AND SAME PROBLEMS HAVE OCCURRED.*AK THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED BECAUSE THE CONSUMER FELT IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *NM

CONTACT STATES: THAT DOOR BLEW OPEN WHILE DRIVING. ELECTRIC DOOR FOR PASSENGERS FREIGHT LINER SPRINTER 2003. BRAUN CONVERSION FOR WHEELS CHAIRS. HAS ELECTRIC DOOR THAT HAS NO LATCH TO CLOSE AND THERE IS GAP IN THE DOOR,1/2 INCH. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY THE DODGE DEALER THAT IT IS WAS THE CONVERSION PART FOR BRAUN THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. AND TO TAKE IT TO A PLACE THAT WORKS ON CONVERSIONS. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO WAITHER BODY SHOP 562-447-1256 FOR REPAIRS. REPAIR COST IS UNKNOWN, UNDERWRITTEN BY BRAUN CORPORATION. INCLUDES UPGRADE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. *TT *NM

2005 FREIGHTLINER COLUMBIA EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE TURN SIGNALS, THE EXTERIOR MIRRORS AND THE ABSENCE OF A HAND RAIL ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAB FOR EXITING THE CAB.*MR THE MIRRORS ON THE TRUCK VIBRATE EXCESSIVELY TO THE POINT WHERE THE DRIVER CANNOT SEE ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THERE IS NOT WAY TO TIGHTEN THEM WITHOUT REPLACING THE ENTIRE UNIT. THE CONSUMER FEELS THAT THE TURN SIGNAL SHOULD BE SELF CANCELING OR THAT THE AUDIBLE SIGNAL SOUND SHOULD BE LOUDER. *NM

TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE FOLLOWING PROBLEM ON DIFFERENT TYPES OF TERRAIN, BUT IT HAS BEEN MOST COMMON IN AREAS WITH STEEP HILLS. AFTER ACCELLERATING TO MAINTAIN SPEED WHILE CLIMBING A STEEP INCLINE AND FEATHERING THE THROTLE AS THE HILL IS TOPPED, THE (AUTOMATIC) TRANSMISSION KICKS COMPLETELY OUT OF GEAR ON THE DESCENT AND WILL NOT RE-ENGAGE WITHOUT BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP, SHIFTING TO NEUTRAL OR PARK AND RESTARTING THE ENGINE. SO FAR, THE DRIVERS FOLLOWING ME HAVE ALL PASSED THE BRAKE TEST AND THEIR HORNS SEEM TO BE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. I'VE HAD THE VEHICLE SINCE JULY OF 2004 AND IT CURRENTLY HAS ONLY 25K MILES. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION SINCE IT OCCURS INTERMITENTLY AND YOU CAN'T TELL THE TRANS HAS DISENGAGED UNTIL YOU REACH THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL AND TRY TO ACCELERATE TO CLIMB THE NEXT INCLINE. I CALLED A LOCAL DEALER AND THEY MUMBLED SOMETHING ABOUT LEAKY O RINGS BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER THERE HAVE BEEN ANY RECALLS OR SERVICE BULLETINS.

A SEMI TRUCK, OWNER WHO RECEIVED A RECALL ON 6/24/04. CALLED FREIGHT LINER, DEALERSHIP IN COLUMBUS OHIO ON 4/4/05, AND FREIGHT LINER REPRESENTATIVE SAID BRING VEHICLE. UPON ARRIVAL, PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. CONTACT SAID HE HAD CONTACTED SEVERAL FREIGHT LINER DEALERS, ALL OF THEM STATED THEY HAD NO PARTS.*AK

AS A MECHANICAL ENGINEER AND ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTIONIST I WAS ASKED TO EXAMINE THE FRONT AXLE OF A LATE MODEL FREIGHTLINER TRUCK-TRACTOR THAT HAD BEEN IN A LOSS-OF-STEERING-CONTROL TYPE ACCIDENT. THE ACCIDENT RESULTED IN A TOTAL LOSS OF THE TRACTOR, THE TRAILER, THE TRAILER LOAD AND INJURY TO THE DRIVER. UPON EXAMINING THE LEFT FRONT STEERING SPINDLE I NOTICED IT HAD SEPARATED FROM THE AXLE. THE PLACE WHERE THE SPINDLE CONNECTS TO THE AXLE IS EFFECTED BY AN INTERFERENCE FIT BETWEEN A SOLID CYLINDER AND A CYLINDRICAL HOLE WITH NO OTHER MEANS OF JOINING THE TWO PARTS. THE HOLE WAS CRACKED WHICH CAUSED A PARTIAL LOSS OF INTERENCE FIT WHICH ALLOWED THE SPINDLE TO WORK ITS WAY OUT OF THE HOLE. WHEN THIS OCCURS THERE IS LOSS OF LOAD SUPPORT BY THE WHEEL AND A LOSS OF STEERING. THERE WAS NO IMPACT DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL SO THE SEPARATION WAS THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT NOT A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. THIS WAS CLEARLY A DEFECTIVE FRONT AXLE BUT IT IS NOT KNOWN AT THIS TIME IF IT IS A (1) DESIGN DEFECT , (2) MANUFACTURING DEFECT OR (3) A MATERIAL DEFECT. HOWEVER, THERE IS A DEFECT AND IT IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM BECAUSE THERE ARE SEVERAL THOUSAND OF THESE TRUCK TRACTORS OPERATING RIGHT NOW WITH STEERING AXLES POTENTIALLY ABOUT TO FAIL AND WHEN THEY DO THE EFFECTS WILL BE CATASTROPHIC TO THE DRIVERS, OTHER MOTORISTS AND CARGOES. THE ONLY WAY TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM IS TO STOP THE TRUCKS, RECALL THE TRUCKS AND REPLACE OR MODIFY THE SPINDLE-AXLE CONNECTION SO THAT THEY CAN'T SEPARATE. I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A MEETING OF A NUMBER OF TRUCKING COMPANIES THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM AND THAT THEY HAVE NOT HAD ANY GOOD RESPONSE FROM FREIGHTLINER REGARDING FIXING THE PROBLEM. FOR THE SAKE OF PUBLIC SAFETY YOU SHOULD OPEN AN INVESTIGATION OF THIS PROBLEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THESE TRUCK TRACTORS AND THEIR DEFECTIVE STEERING AXLES ARE TICKING TIME BOMBS ON OUR NATION'S HIGHWAYS.