1997 Freightliner Business Class: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 1997 Freightliner Business Class. The newest campaign is 03V246000. NHTSA received the report on 10 Jul 2003. The NHTSA record gives the component Vehicle Speed Control. NHTSA has 2 complaints on file for this model year. 1 NHTSA investigation names this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 03V246000, in the NHTSA record

Cummins will notify the customers and replace the ecm. Owners should contact cummins at 1-800-343-7357 or freightliner at 1-503-745-5219.

NHTSA VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on 1 Oct 2026. Complaint file through 29 Mar 2018. Recall file through 29 Sep 2026.

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

6 campaigns, newest first. 149,642 units in total.

03V24600010 Jul 2003Vehicle Speed Control
02V10800110 Apr 2002Parking Brake / Conventional / Mechanical / Linkage and Cable
00V3570003 Nov 2000Service Brakes, Air / Controls, Pedals and Linkages
00V2320027 Aug 2000Service Brakes, Air / Antilock
99V06500029 Mar 1999Service Brakes, Air
98V0520004 Mar 1998Engine and Engine Cooling / Cooling System / Fan

03V246000Received 10 Jul 2003. 62 units.
Vehicle Speed Control
Defect, in the NHTSA record
On certain trucks and buses equipped with cummins electronic control modules on the c8.3g and l10g engines, the ecm does not have the ability to detect a throttle fail-safe engine shutdown command. This could result in an unanticipated, uncommanded open throttle condition without warning.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
If this event occurs, the vehicle operator will not have control of the engine speed, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Cummins will notify the customers and replace the ecm. Owners should contact cummins at 1-800-343-7357 or freightliner at 1-503-745-5219.
Report filed by FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION. Manufacturer campaign number FL-416.
02V108001Received 10 Apr 2002. 548 units.
Parking Brake / Conventional / Mechanical / Linkage and Cable
Defect, in the NHTSA record
On certain trucks equipped with meritor brand 12" x 4" dcm drum parking brake, the bolts used to attach the parking brake assembly to the flange yoke are too large and can interfere with the proper engagement of the braking system and possibly disengage.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Improper engagement of the parking brake could result in the vehicle rolling away without prior warning possibly resulting in personal injury or death.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will replace the attaching bolts with the correct size bolts free of charge. Owner notification is expected to begin during october 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 freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
Report filed by FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION. Manufacturer campaign number FL-395.
00V357000Received 3 Nov 2000. 105,000 units.
Service Brakes, Air / Controls, Pedals and Linkages
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks. The brake pedal push rod that activates the service brakes could fracture.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
This could result in a loss of braking control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will replace the brake pedal push rod.
Report filed by FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION. Manufacturer campaign number FL-276. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 6 Nov 2000.
00V232002Received 7 Aug 2000. 35,405 units.
Service Brakes, Air / Antilock
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks and school bus chassis built with bendix air ABS with an ec-17 1030r electronic control unit (ECU), there have been reports of unwanted ABS activation at low speeds caused by 1) chafed ABS wheel speed sensor wires on rotating parts or 2) a damaged component at the wheel end that generates a certain type of erratic sensor signal.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
This condition could cause the ABS ECU to exhaust the air at the air brake modulators for one or more of the wheels. This could result in extended braking distances and a possible crash.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will replace the ABS ECU.
Report filed by FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION. Manufacturer campaign number FL-266. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 29 Aug 2000.
99V065000Received 29 Mar 1999. 142 units.
Service Brakes, Air
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks equipped with a bendix anti-lock braking system (ABS). The rear axle ABS modulating valves may be plumbed incorrectly.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
This can cause the rear axle service brakes, when in the ABS mode, to not modulate as intended.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will inspect the rear axle ABS modulating valve supply and outlet port for correct plumbing and re-plumb if necessary.
Report filed by FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION. Manufacturer campaign number FL-232. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 10 May 1999.
98V052000Received 4 Mar 1998. 8,485 units.
Engine and Engine Cooling / Cooling System / Fan
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Vehicle description: truck-tractors equipped with 26" 8-blade metal engine cooling fans. The fan blades can fatigue crack and eventually separate from the fan.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
If the fan blade breaks while a person was working in the engine, personal injury could occur.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will replace these fans with fans which are more durable.
Report filed by FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 17 Aug 1998.

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

2 complaints, 3 component mentions.

A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. This model year has fewer than 50 component mentions, so the table shows the number of mentions only.

1997 Freightliner Business Class: component mentions in complaints
Component		Mentions
Service Brakes, Hydraulic		1
Parking Brake		1
Structure		1

Complaints that report a crash: 0
Complaints that report a fire: 0
Injuries in the complaints: 0
Deaths in the complaints: 0
Date of the newest complaint: 15 Aug 2006

These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.

Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.

Complaints about the 1997 Freightliner Business Class, by the year NHTSA received them. The largest year is 2003, with 1 complaint.

Investigations

NHTSA investigations that name the 1997 Freightliner Business Class
Number	Type	Subject	Component	Opened	Closed	Campaign
EA02036	Engineering analysis	ABS CORROSION EXTENDS STOPPING DIST	Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	11 Dec 2002	26 Jan 2004

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

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Official channels

NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
NHTSA page of the 1997 Freightliner Business ClassThe recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.

Cite this page

Recall Register. 1997 Freightliner Business Class: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/freightliner/business-class/1997/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through 29 Sep 2026.

Sources

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence: US government work, public domain
Recall file through: 29 Sep 2026
Complaint file through: 29 Mar 2018
First complaint in the file: 1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file: FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 1997 Freightliner Business Class?: 149,642 units in 6 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the Freightliner Business Class have for all model years?: NHTSA lists 18 recall campaigns for the Freightliner Business Class, model years 1991 to 2003. 6 of them name the 1997 model year.
Which component do the complaints about the 1997 Freightliner Business Class name most often?: Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 1 of 3 component mentions.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 1997 Freightliner Business Class open?: No. The 1 investigation that names this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.