Freightliner Corporation: Suspension › Rear
Freightliner Corporation reported this defect to federal regulators on Nov 20, 1996 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 1,410. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: ALL VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH EATON DRIVE AXLES AND AXILOK SPINDLE NUTS. THE DRIVE AXLE HOUSINGS CONSIST OF A PLATE STEEL CENTER SECTION AND TWO FORGED SPINDLES, ONE OF WHICH IS WELDED TO EACH END OF THE CENTER SECTION. EACH SPINDLE CONTAINS A KEYWAY SLOT IN WHICH THE LOCKING TAB FOR THE WHEEL BEARING NUT LOCKING MECHANISM IS INSERTED. THE LENGTH OF THE KEYWAY SLOT MAY NOT BE LONG ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE THE TAB CAUSING THE TAB TO BE DEFORMED OR DAMAGED DURING INSTALLATION.
The risk
THIS LOCKING TAB PREVENTS THE WHEEL BEARING NUT FROM LOOSENING DURING VEHICLE OPERATION. IF THIS TAB IS DEFORMED, THE NUT CAN LOOSEN ALLOWING THE WHEEL TO SEPARATE FROM THE AXLE INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVE AXLE HOUSING NUTS WITH A CONVENTIONAL WHEEL NUT HARDWARE SYSTEM.
5 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 Freightliner Century | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 Freightliner Conventional | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1996 Freightliner FL-60 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 Freightliner FL-70 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 Freightliner FL80 | 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 96V233003.
Full record for the 1996 Freightliner Century → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →