Freightliner Freightliner
Owners filed 129 complaints across 15 model years of the Freightliner Freightliner. The 1999 drew the most (29); the 2003 the fewest (1).
Model years15
Complaints129
Recalls19
Fires5
Deaths1
Every Freightliner Freightliner model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 4 | 1 | — | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | Routine | |
| 2003 | 1 | 1 | — | — | Steering | Routine | |
| 2002 | 14 | 1 | 1 | — | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2001 | 28 | 1 | — | — | Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery | Fatalities reported | |
| 2000 | 14 | 1 | — | 2 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings | Routine | |
| 1999 | 29 | 0 | — | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Routine | |
| 1998 | 9 | 0 | — | 1 | Visibility › Rearview Mirrors/Devices › Exterior | Routine | |
| 1997 | 3 | 2 | — | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components | Routine | |
| 1996 | 6 | 2 | 1 | — | Electrical System › Alternator/Generator/Regulator | Routine | |
| 1995 | 3 | 3 | — | 1 | Wheels | Routine | |
| 1994 | 6 | 0 | 2 | — | Service Brakes, Air | Routine | |
| 1993 | 4 | 1 | — | — | Tires › Tread/Belt | Routine | |
| 1992 | 2 | 3 | — | — | Suspension › Rear | Routine | |
| 1991 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 1990 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Power Train › Axle Assembly › Axle Shaft | Routine |
Which Freightliner Freightliner years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 1999 is the weakest year on record, with 29 complaints concentrated in the service brakes, hydraulic › antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.