Daimler Trucks North America recently issued a recall of Western Star and Freightliner models over safety concerns.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reportedly announced the most recent recall stems from a possible high-pressure fuel leak. Identifying the diesel fuel system defect led to a prompt recall of approximately 2,800 vehicles manufactured for 2019-2022.
Fuel tubes between the fuel rail and the injectors for cylinders four, five, and six are prone to fatigue and cracking. In the presence of an ignition source, truckers may be at risk of a vehicle fire. At this juncture, dealers are expected to replace potentially hazardous fuel tubes and install vibration isolators. Owners of the impacted tractors can anticipate notification via mail beginning Feb. 10, 2022.
It appears the most recent recall is not necessarily an isolated incident. The truck maker has issued a number of recall notices during 2021. Daimler Trucks recalled upwards of 400 Freightliner and Western Star for model years 2011 through 2022 over non-compliant tires late last year. The NHTSA sent a letter dated Dec. 1, 2021, notifying the truck maker of the issues.
“The tires and rims are not approved and rated for these vehicles from the Tire and Rim Association or tire manufacturer. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 120, ‘Wheels and Rims-Other Than Passenger Cars,’” the NHTSA reportedly stated.
Approximately 105,000 Freightliner Cascadia tractors from 2019 to 2021 were reportedly recalled around September due to inconsistencies with the steering system. It appears the drag link taper joint was not always adequately tightened. Further loosening could cause a total separation of the steering arm and drag link, resulting in a truck driver losing control.
More than 1,200 Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner C2 school buses are also under recall. Reports indicate the 2022 models may suffer a misaligned gas pedal that wears a hole in the floor mat and becomes stuck at times. School bus drivers are advised to remain vigilant about potentially trapped accelerators.
The commercial motor vehicle manufacturer has issued timely recall notices during 2021. However, its transparency may be motivated by the hefty fines it paid in previous years.
The NHTSA entered into a consent order with Daimler in December, 2020, that resulted in a fine potentially totaling $30 million over non-compliance issues. The NHTSA previously concluded the truck manufacturer failed to meet reporting requirements after a 2018 probe that involved more than 450,000 vehicles. In 2019, Daimler was compelled to pay a $20 million fine for recall notification failures.
Going forward, the recent consent order includes “non-monetary provisions designed to improve Daimler Trucks North America’s compliance with the law and to improve the company’s safety practices,” according to the NHTSA.
Sources: fleetequipmentmag.com, ccjdgital.com
Good luck finding the parts to service the recall.
Great job Truckers Report you only got 2 paragraphs in about what the article was about and then you rattle on about older recalls with no clarification on what trucks are being recalled, pretty sure a fire risk is too important to leave out details and send letters out next month.
I guess they can’t build trucks any better than than they can build cars.