Freightliner LLC: Steering › Column
Freightliner LLC reported this defect to federal regulators on Jul 3, 2007 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 25,643. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
CERTAIN FREIGHTLINER SCHOOL BUSES AND TRUCKS MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 23, 2004, TO MARCH 21, 2006. DURING THE STEERING COLUMN MANUFACTURING PROCESS TWO WELDS MAY HAVE BEEN MISSING.
The risk
COLUMNS WITH TWO WELDS MISSING MAY FATIGUE AND FRACTURE AND ALLOW THE STEERING WHEEL TO PROGRESSIVELY BE MOVED OUT OF ITS NORMAL POSITION WHICH MAY CAUSE THE STEERING TO RESPOND DIFFERENTLY THAN EXPECTED. IF THIS CONDITION IS IGNORED, A CRASH MAY OCCUR.
The remedy
FREIGHTLINER WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND INSPECT AND REPAIR THE AFFECTED VEHICLE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 30, 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FREIGHTLINER AT 1-800-547-0712.
12 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 Freightliner Century ST | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 Freightliner Columbia | 14 | 21 | 2 | 1 |
| 2006 Freightliner Coronado | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 Thomas Built Buses FS-65 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 1 |
| 2006 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 Freightliner Century ST | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 Freightliner Columbia | 38 | 14 | 2 | 1 |
| 2005 Freightliner Coronado | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 Thomas Built Buses FS-65 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 Thomas Built Buses FS-65 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 2004 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 07V289000.
Full record for the 2006 Freightliner Century ST → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →