1997 Pierce Custom Chassis

Routine

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

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports

Steering › Linkages › Tie Rod Assembly03V380000

Filed Oct 8, 2003202 vehiclesPierce Manufacturing

Defect. ON CERTAIN FIRE TRUCKS WITH TANDEM STEER AXLES. THE TRW TIE-ROD ON THE REAR-MOST AXLE OF A TANDEM AXLE IS RESTRAINED FROM ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT BY A PAIR OF ANTI-ROTATION SEALS LOCATED AT THE BALL SOCKET JOINTS. THESE ANTI-ROTATION SEALS WILL COMPRESS OVER TIME. IF THE ANTI-ROTATION SEAL ALLOWS TOO MUCH MOTION, THE SEALS CAN DETERIORATE, ALLOWING CONTACT BETWEEN THE BALL SOCKET AND THE BALL SHAFT. THIS METAL-TO-METAL CONTACT WILL TRANSMIT FORCES INTO THE TIE-ROD TUBE, CAUSING FATIGUE FAILURE INITIATING AT THE ROOT OF THE FEMALE TREADS.

Risk. FAILURE OF THE TIE-ROD WILL ALLOW ONE OF THE WHEELS TO SWING TO THE LIMIT OF ITS STEERING STOP, POTENTIALLY CAUSING A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TIE ROD. NOTIFICATION TO OWNERS BEGAN NOVEMBER 7, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT PIERCE AT 1-888-974-3723.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2006

Year	Recalls	Assessment
2006	1	Routine
2005	1	Routine
2004	2	Routine
2003	3	Routine
2002	4	Routine
2001	2	Routine
2000	1	Routine
1999	1	Routine
1998	1	Routine
1997 — this page	1	Routine
1996	1	Routine

Compare every Custom Chassis year →

Other Pierce models

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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: Oct 8, 2003. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.