1997 Freightliner Columbia

Routine

No owner complaints are on file for this vehicle. It has been recalled 1 time.

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports

Service Brakes, Air › Antilock00V232002

Filed Aug 7, 200035,405 vehiclesFreightliner Corporation

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS AND SCHOOL BUS CHASSIS BUILT WITH BENDIX AIR ABS WITH AN EC-17 1030R ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU), THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF UNWANTED ABS ACTIVATION AT LOW SPEEDS CAUSED BY 1) CHAFED ABS WHEEL SPEED SENSOR WIRES ON ROTATING PARTS OR 2) A DAMAGED COMPONENT AT THE WHEEL END THAT GENERATES A CERTAIN TYPE OF ERRATIC SENSOR SIGNAL.

Risk. THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE THE ABS ECU TO EXHAUST THE AIR AT THE AIR BRAKE MODULATORS FOR ONE OR MORE OF THE WHEELS. THIS COULD RESULT IN EXTENDED BRAKING DISTANCES AND A POSSIBLE CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ABS ECU.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2005

Year	Complaints	Recalls	Fires	Deaths	Assessment
2021	0	1	0	0	Routine
2020	0	2	0	0	Routine
2019	0	3	0	0	Routine
2018	0	2	0	0	Routine
2017	0	3	0	0	Routine
2016	0	3	0	0	Routine
2015	0	3	0	0	Routine
2014	0	5	0	0	Routine
2013	0	5	0	0	Routine
2012	0	6	0	0	Routine
2011	0	13	0	0	Routine
2010	1	18	0	0	Routine
2009	2	20	0	0	Routine
2008	1	30	0	0	Routine
2007	11	27	1	0	Routine
2006	14	21	2	0	Routine
2005	38	14	2	0	Routine
2004	13	10	2	2	Fatalities reported
2003	10	5	0	0	Routine
2002	2	3	1	0	Routine
2001	3	1	0	0	Routine
2000	1	3	0	0	Routine
1999	0	2	0	0	Routine
1998	0	2	0	0	Routine
1997 — this page	0	1	0	0	Routine

Compare every Columbia year →

Other Freightliner models

All Freightliner models →

Cascadia 250 Freightliner 129 Conventional 73 Business Class M2 54 Century 53 Sprinter 2500 49 FL-70 39 FS-65 33 M2 30 FLD120 29

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Aug 7, 2000. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.