1998 International Harvester 4700

Routine

Owners filed 2 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the structure › frame and members. It has been recalled 3 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Structure › Frame and Members1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1
010

3 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Service Brakes, Air03V137000
Filed Apr 3, 20032,818 vehiclesInternational Truck & Engine Corporation

Defect. ON CERTAIN HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS, A BRASS FITTING CONNECTS THE DOUBLE CHECK VALVE TO THE BRAKE RELAY VALVE. WITH CERTAIN INPUTS TO THE VEHICLE, THE WEIGHT OF THE CHECK VALVE ON THE FITTING CAN CAUSE THE ASSEMBLY TO RESONATE. THE SUBJECT VIBRATION CAN CAUSE EXCESSIVE STRAIN LEVELS IN THE FITTING, WHICH COULD EVENTUALLY FATIGUE AND FAIL.

Risk. IF THE FITTING BREAKS, THE REAR SERVICE BRAKES WILL CEASE TO OPERATE WITHOUT WARNING, RESULTING IN AN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSTALL A KIT TO REMOUNT THE DOUBLE CHECK VALVE WITH A FLEXIBLE HOSE ON THE MAJORITY OF VEHICLES. ON A SMALL NUMBER OF UNITS WITH CLEARANCE ISSUES OR TRACTION CONTROL, A KIT WITH A NEW RELAY VALVE THAT HAS A BUILT-IN DOUBLE CHECK VALVE WILL BE INSTALLED. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON APRIL 18, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT INTERNATIONAL AT 1-800-448-7825.

Seats03V083000
Filed Mar 6, 20032,418 vehiclesInternational Truck & Engine Corporation

Defect. ON CERTAIN HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH BOSTROM DRIVER SEAT MODELS 910, 910SC, OR 914 AND INTERNATIONAL'S PARKING BRAKE CODE 04036, IF SOMEONE OUTSIDE THE CAB ADJUSTS/SLIDES THE DRIVER'S SEAT TO ITS MOST FORWARD POSITION, WITH THE PARKING BRAKE SET, THE SEAT WILL CONTACT AND RELEASE THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER.

Risk. IF THE PARKING BRAKE IS ACCIDENTALLY RELEASED, THE VEHICLE COULD MOVE UNEXPECTEDLY, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSTALL A STOP-BRACKET ON THE SEAT TRACK TO LIMIT THE TRAVEL OF THE SEAT SO THAT THE SEAT CANNOT RELEASE THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MARCH 31, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT INTERNATIONAL AT 1-800-448-7825.

Service Brakes, Air › Supply › Check Valve02V135002
Filed May 20, 2002108,560 vehiclesInternational Truck And Engine

Defect. ON CERTAIN MEDIUM AND HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS, A BRASS FITTING CONNECTS THE DOUBLE CHECK VALVE TO THE BRAKE RELAY VALVE. WITH CERTAIN INPUTS TO THE VEHICLE, THE WEIGHT OF THE CHECK VALVE ON THE FITTING CAN CAUSE THE ASSEMBLY TO RESONATE. THE SUBJECT VIBRATION CAN CAUSE EXCESSIVE STRAIN LEVELS IN THE FITTING, WHICH COULD EVENTUALLY FATIGUE AND FAIL.

Risk. IF THE FITTING BREAKS, THE REAR SERVICE BRAKES WILL CEASE TO OPERATE WITHOUT WARNING, RESULTING IN AN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSTALL A KIT TO REMOUNT THE DOUBLE CHECK VALVE WITH A FLEXIBLE HOSE ON THE MAJORITY OF VEHICLES. ON A SMALL NUMBER OF UNITS WITH CLEARANCE ISSUES OR TRACTION CONTROL, A KIT WITH A NEW RELAY VALVE THAT HAS A BUILT-IN DOUBLE CHECK VALVE WILL BE INSTALLED. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN SEPTEMBER 11, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT INTERNATIONAL AT 1-800-448-7825.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Service Brakes, HydraulicFire
Filed Jul 9, 200735,000 milesOH

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 INTERNATIONAL 4700. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS FRICTION, WHICH RESULTED FROM THE BRAKES BEING JAMMED BY RUST. THE DEALER REPLACED THE FRONT ROTOR, CALIPERS, AND BRAKE SHOES. APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS LATER, THE CONTACT NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD HYDRAULIC BRAKES, WHICH CAUSED THE FIRE, WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE HAD AIR BRAKES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE REAR BRAKE SHOES. THE CONTACT WAS NOT SURE IF ANYTHING ELSE WAS REPLACED. THE ENGINE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 45,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.

Structure › Frame and Members
Filed Oct 14, 1999LA

WE PURCHASED 3 LIKE UNITS FROM THIS MANUFACTUER IN 1998, AND HAVE 7 MORE IN OUR FLEET RANGING FROM YEAR 1993-1997. THE VAST MAJORITY HAVE DEVELOPED OTHER STRUCTURAL WELD FRACTURES, AND HAVE BEEN RETURNED SEVERAL TIMES TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR REPAIR, ONLY TO BREAK AGAIN WITHIN WEEKS OF RETURN. THE PARAMEDICS IN THIS PARTICULAR UNIT NOTICED THE MODULE FLOOR WAS MOVING INDEPENDENT OF THE WALLS WHILE MOVING. WE HAVE HAD THIS UNIT REPAIRED, BUT DO HAVE NUMEROUS PICTURES AND SOME VIDEO AVAILABLE. WE WOULD ALSO ENTERTAIN USING ANOTHER LIKE VEHICLE OF OURS FOR STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY TESTING IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.

2 of 2 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1997
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20017420Routine
20006500Routine
19995500Routine
1998 — this page2310Routine
199713402Fatalities reported
19963100Routine
19952500Routine
19941210Routine
19931100Routine
19920100Routine
19910100Routine

Compare every 4700 year →

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: Apr 3, 2003. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.