Is This A Lemon?

Year · Make · Model

1996 Freightliner Century

What the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration knows about this vehicle: every recall, every consumer complaint, every defect investigation, every NCAP crash test. Sourced directly from NHTSA data feeds.

7
Open recalls
0
NHTSA complaints
1
Defect investigations
7
Service bulletins

Recalls

7 campaigns
98V326000·VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:LINKAGES1998-12-21

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS. THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CONNECTING LINKAGE SOCKETS CAN WEAR OUT PREMATURELY DUE TO INSUFFICIENT GREASING DURING ASSEMBLY.

RiskTHIS CAN LEAD TO A SEPARATION OF THE LINKAGE AND LOSS OF WIPER FUNCTION, IMPAIRING THE DRIVER'S VISIBILITY.

FixDEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CONNECTING LINKAGES WITH NEW LINKS THAT ARE PROPERLY LUBRICATED.

98V085000·SUSPENSION:FRONT1998-04-21

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH MERITOR INTERAXLE DRIVELINE U-JOINTS. DEFLECTOR RINGS, A PART OF THE SYSTEM TO SEAL THE U-JOINTS FROM CONTAMINATES, ARE LOOSE. THIS ALLOWS WATER TO ENTER THE U-JOINT BEARING AREA RESULT IN DILUTION OF THE LUBRICANT, OXIDATION OF THE BEARING AND SEAL SURFACES, AND LOSS OF LUBRICANT.

RiskIF THIS PROBLEM GOES UNDETECTED, THE INTERAXLE DRIVELINE CAN SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.

FixDEALERS WILL REPLACE THE U-JOINTS WITH THE CURRENT DESIGN U-JOINTS.

97V112000·STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR1997-07-16

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: HEAVY DUTY TRUCK. LEAKS THROUGH THE FIREWALL OR STEERING SHAFT BOOTS ALLOWS WATER TO RUN DOWN THE STEERING SHAFT. THE STEERING SHAFT SLIP SPLINE CORRODES CAUSING IT TO SEIZE.

RiskINCREASED STEERING EFFORT CAN RESULT INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.

FixDEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STEERING SHAFT WITH A NEW DESIGN THAT IS INSTALLED IN AN INVERTED ORIENTATION SO NO WATER CAN ENTER THE SPLINES.

97V006000·SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE1997-01-21

DUE TO UNDERSIZED RIVETS AND OVERSIZED HOLES, THE B-PILLAR ANCHORAGE WILL NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD (FMVSS) NO. 210, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES."

RiskIN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGE MAY NOT HOLD AN OCCUPANT INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH.

FixDEALERS WILL MAKE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS TO THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES.

96V233003·SUSPENSION:REAR1996-11-20

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.

RiskTHIS 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.

FixDEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVE AXLE HOUSING NUTS WITH A CONVENTIONAL WHEEL NUT HARDWARE SYSTEM.

96V197000·VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM1996-10-08

AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CAN OCCUR IN THE AUXILLIARY HEATER/AIRCONDITIONING BLOWER IF EXPOSED TO WATER.

RiskTHE SHORTED RELAY CAN RESULT IN A FIRE.

FixDEALERS WILL REMOVE AND REPLACE THE RELAY WITH ONE THAT RESISTS SHORTING IF CONTACTED BY WATER AND DOES NOT SUPPORT COMBUSTION EVEN IF SHORTED.

96V181001·VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1996-09-24

THESE VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH A DETROIT DIESEL OPTIMIZED IDLE SYSTEM. IF THE IGNITION IS TURNED ON AND THE FUSE FOR THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM) POWER FEED LINE IS REMOVED OR BURNED OUT, THE SAFETY FEATURES DESIGNED TO PREVENT INJURY TO PERSONS WORKING IN THE VICINITY OF THE ENGINE WILL BE BYPASSED, AND UNINTENTIONAL CRANKING OF THE ENGINE WILL OCCUR.

RiskIF UNINTENTIONAL CRANKING OF THE ENGINE OCCURS, PERSONS WORKING IN THE VICINITY OF THE ENGINE COULD BE INJURED AND THE VEHICLE COULD MOVE.

FixDETROIT DIESEL DISTRIBUTORS WILL REWIRE THE VEHICLES USING A REVISED ECM WHICH WILL ELIMINATE UNINTENTIONAL CRANKING.

NHTSA investigations

1 action
PE02088·WHEELS2002-11-22 → 2003-05-01

INTEGRAL HUB AND BEARING ASSEMBLY

Led to recall03E019000

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