Freightliner Columbia
Owners filed 96 complaints across 25 model years of the Freightliner Columbia. The 2005 drew the most (38).
Which Freightliner Columbia years should you avoid?
Not enough of the record to single a year out. Fewer than 4 Freightliner Columbia model years have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to judge, so any ranking would be noise. The table below has every year as filed.
How this is worked out: each year is compared with a typical year of the same model, which takes most of the difference in sales out of it, and its share of serious failures is compared with every other car of the same model year, because older cars were complained about differently. A year needs 25 complaints to be judged at all. Complaints are unverified owner reports. Full method →
Every Freightliner Columbia model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 2020 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 2019 | 0 | 3 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 2018 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 2017 | 0 | 3 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 2016 | 0 | 3 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 2015 | 0 | 3 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 2014 | 0 | 5 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 2013 | 0 | 5 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 2012 | 0 | 6 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 2011 | 0 | 13 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 2010 | 1 | 18 | — | — | Visibility › Windshield | Routine | |
| 2009 | 2 | 20 | — | — | Service Brakes | Routine | |
| 2008 | 1 | 30 | — | — | Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System | Routine | |
| 2007 | 11 | 27 | 1 | — | Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer | Routine | |
| 2006 | 14 | 21 | 2 | 1 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System | Routine | |
| 2005 | 38 | 14 | 2 | 1 | Power Train › Clutch Assembly | Routine | |
| 2004 | 13 | 10 | 2 | 2 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System | Fatalities reported | |
| 2003 | 10 | 5 | — | — | Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System | Routine | |
| 2002 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | Steering › Gear Box (other Than Rack and Pinion) | Routine | |
| 2001 | 3 | 1 | — | 2 | Service Brakes, Air › Antilock | Routine | |
| 2000 | 1 | 3 | — | 1 | Seat Belts › Rear/Other | Routine | |
| 1999 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 1998 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 1997 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | Routine |
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, October 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.