WESTERN STAR Complaints

URGENT SAFETY DEFECT - Repeated front hub overheating/fire risk (2025 Western Star 47x) I am submitting a formal safety complaint regarding my 2025 Western Star 47x The front wheel hubs have over heated to the point of failure on 6 separate occasions, resulting in a fire on two of those occasions. The issues have been documented with Freightliner and accompanied by photo/video evidence. Each incident required the vehicle to be towed to an authorized dealership, and repairs were performed under warranty. Despite these repeated repairs, the issue has not yet been resolved. The hubs are currently overheating again, indicating a persistent and unresolved defect. This is no longer a routine maintenance or warranty issue. This is an ongoing safety defect that presents a serious fire hazard and risk of injury, property damage, or loss of life. Key Concerns - - Six separate over heating and/or fire incidents involving the front hubs - Multiple warranty repairs with no permanent resolution - Recurrence of the same failure condition - Within days or weeks of warranty repair, the vehicles becomes unsafe to operate under normal working conditions due to over heating hubs, which break down the lubricating gear oil, furthering the problem, causing more heat with thinner oil, which eventually leaks onto the brakes, causing a fire. During the times where I was fortunate enough to catch it before a fire started, the fluid was so hot that it melted the plastic hub cap to the point of blowing up like a balloon before eventually rupturing. These instances were video documented

All lights started flickering while driving. Shut truck off, would not start, smoke came out from battery cable under hood.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - Automated emergency breaking ABS Forward collision warning, potentially others. Unsure if the vehicle is available for inspection due to insurance claim. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Collision mitigation system error. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Police and Insurance representative. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Yes, vehicle was sent to a certified manufacturer maintenance partner for active MIL/check engine lamp. Documentation of services performed describes a situation related to a fault code specifically regarding the collision mitigation system that the technicians were unable to diagnose with the tools available. Vehicle was released without any further modifications. The receipt with written detail is attached to this form.

The contact owns a 2024 Western Star 4700. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V326000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the recall parts were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Electronic stability control will randomly apply the brakes the truck has been back to the dealership 4 times wabco has been involved and has never been repaired currently I am working with wabco I would like a configuration file to remove the esc from the vehicle they say that would be a safety violation although our newest truck a 2025 western star does not have I need help getting these people to work with use

Western Star utilizes relay in master power distribution, they call PNDB. When this device is faulty it interrupts the power to engine causing truck engine to shut down. This shut down has happened with the truck fully loaded (71,000 LBS) traveling at 60 mph a couple of times. With no engine power you lose power steering. This is a very dangerous condition that I have discovered is more common than it should be. Talk to any Western Star service department. The Service Department knew exactly what the problem was and related to me this is common.

Hi I had a trailer hitch failure yesterday causing the trailer to disconnect from the tow vehicle. The failure occurred at a faulty weld on the receiver hitch. The receiver hitch is a Angcosy one position hook mount 20,000 lb. 9" length model. Where the receiver tube is welded to the hitch mounting plate the weld failed causing the trailer to seperate from the tow vehicle. Upon examining the failed weld you could see there was no weld penetrating the hitch plate itself. Luckily I was moving the trailer on my property at a speed of 3 MPH, so no real damage done. I use this hitch for towing woodchippers and other car type trailers down the highway. If this would have occurred at highway speeds with the trailer becoming disconnected from the tow vehicle the results could have been life threatening. The hitch in question was in like new condition and only used 4-5 times. I bought the hitch thru Amazon and have notified them of the problem the faulty receiver hitch posses.

The oil pan is made out of plastic and the housing inside of it where the oil drain plug screws and tightens to came out while driving on freeway on an upward incline. This is the second time having to change the oil plan. It is made out of plastic and the housing that connects the pieces to the drain plug are not holding well with these and this can be dangerous with oil on free way and also vehicle starts to count down to turn it self off in the middle of busy free way and also a danger to the engine from loosing all the oil

The contact owns a 2021 Western Star 4700 WD110084S. The contact stated that an employee was parked on a hill and the parking brake was activated, however, while the worker was outside of the vehicle for approximately 4 minutes, the parking brake was deactivated. The vehicle rolled forward down a hill and stopped when it crashed into a tree. There was yard damage to a resident's home. No police report was filed. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the entire cab was replaced. The contact discovered an unknown NHTSA Campaign, however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2018 Western Star 5700. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the On Guard radar system became inoperable. The contact stated that the feature independently activated the brake. The contact stated that the failure had been ongoing since 2018. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that he contacted On Guard, but no assistance was provided. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 700.