FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
DAIMLER TRUCKS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004 THROUGH 2008 HEAVY TRUCKS MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 11, 2003, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 28, 2007, EQUIPPED WITH EPA04 MODEL MBE4000 ENGINES BUILT WITH PLASTIC LOW PRESSURE FUEL LINES AND FUEL FILTERS MOUNTED NEAR THE CENTER OF THE ENGINE ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE. THE PLASTIC LOW PRESSURE FUEL LINE BETWEEN ENGINE MOUNTED FUEL FILTER AND ENGINE BLOCK MAY DEVELOP A SUBSTANTIAL DIESEL FUEL LEAK.
Remedy: DAIMLER TRUCKS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND THE REMEDY WILL BE PERFORMED BY DETROIT DIESEL CORPORATION AUTHORIZED REPAIR FACILITIES. VEHICLES WILL BE INSPECTED AND THE PLASTIC LOW PRESSURE FUEL LINE WILL BE REPLACED WITH A STEEL LOW PRESSURE FUEL LINE. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. AN INTERIM LETTER WAS MAILED TO OWNERS ON OCTOBER 28, 2011. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 21, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DAIMLER TRUCKS AT 1-800-547-0712.
73,500 vehicles affected
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
DAIMLER TRUCKS IS RECALLING MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH CATERPILLAR C15 ENGINE. THE VARIABLE VALVE ACTUATION OIL LINE MAY RUB AGAINST THE P-CLIPS RETAINING THE OIL LINE, CAUSING AN OIL LEAK.
Remedy: DAIMLER TRUCKS IS WORKING WITH CATERPILLAR TO REMEDY THESE VEHICLES. PLEASE SEE CATERPILLAR'S DEFECT REPORT 09E-020. CATERPILLAR WILL INSPECT AND REPAIR THE NECESSARY COMPONENTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 5, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CATERPILLAR TOLL-FREE AT 1-800-447-4986 OR DAIMLER TRUCKS AT 1-800-547-0712.
25,362 vehicles affected
STEERING:LINKAGES
ON CERTAIN TRUCK AND MOTOR HOME CHASSIS EQUIPPED WITH I-SHAFTS SUPPLIED BY ZF HEAVY DUTY STEERING, THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR A FAILURE OF THE FORK/SHAFT CONNECTION.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND ATTACH A TENSION COLLAR TO THE STEERING SHAFT TO SECURE THE CONNECTION TO THE YOKE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 16, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FREIGHTLINER AT 1-800-547-0712.
37,029 vehicles affected
WHEELS:HUB
ON CERTAIN TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH 3RD GENERATION CONMET ALUMINUM WHEELS, THE DRUM MOUNTING FLANGE ON THE CONMET TRUTURN BRAKE DRUM MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED WITH A TAPER FROM THE PILOT HOLE TO THE BARREL OF THE DRUM.
Remedy: AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION AND TESTING, FREIGHTLINER HAS REVISED THE POPULATION AND THE REMEDY (DECEMBER 22, 2005). THEREFORE, THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 15, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FREIGHTLINER AT 1-800-547-0712.
1,786 vehicles affected
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE
ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE INTERAXLE DRIVELINE YOKES. THE BOLT HOLES LOCATED ON THE EARWORK OF THE MALE SHAFT YOKES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH AN OVERSIZED MINOR THREAD DIAMETER.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SUSPECT MALE SHAFT YOKES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 4, 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FREIGHTLINER AT 1-800-547-0712.
1,095 vehicles affected
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES
ON CERTAIN TRUCKS, THE BRAKE PEDAL PUSHROD WAS NOT TIGHTENED PROPERLY DURING ASSEMBLY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL ADJUST THE PEDAL PUSHROD. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 11, 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FREIGHTLINER AT 1-800-547-0712.
250 vehicles affected
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.
Crash
1 injured
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.
Crash
1 injured