2004 Freightliner Century St recalls and problems

The 2004 Freightliner Century St has 2 recalls and 0 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.

How the 2004 compares

Too few model years with complaints to compare.

2recalls

0complaints

0crashes

0fires

0injuries

—median miles

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not verified and not adjusted for sales. Ranking compares this model's own years only.

Does your car have an open recall?
Recalls apply to specific vehicles. Only a VIN lookup on NHTSA's official site shows whether yours is affected and still unrepaired.

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2 recalls

Service Brakes

Jul 16, 2007 · NHTSA campaign 07V302000 · 75,000 vehicles

Problem: Certain Freightliner school bus chassis, heavy trucks, and thomas built school buses manufactured between July 2002 and July 3, 2007, equipped with bendix sr-7 spring brake control valves. The parker scv brass 90 degree single check valves (scv) which attach to the supply port of a bendix sr-7 spring brake modulating valve can break apart. Pieces of the parker scv can become lodged inside the sr-7 spring brake modulating valve, potentially causing either leakage out of the sr-7 valve or preventing air from properly exhausting from the sr-7 valve. Also, due to a manufacturing defect in the internal rubber check valve inside the sr-7 spring brake modulating valves, the valves can become deformed and not seat properly.

Original NHTSA wording

CERTAIN FREIGHTLINER SCHOOL BUS CHASSIS, HEAVY TRUCKS, AND THOMAS BUILT SCHOOL BUSES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN JULY 2002 AND JULY 3, 2007, EQUIPPED WITH BENDIX SR-7 SPRING BRAKE CONTROL VALVES. THE PARKER SCV BRASS 90 DEGREE SINGLE CHECK VALVES (SCV) WHICH ATTACH TO THE SUPPLY PORT OF A BENDIX SR-7 SPRING BRAKE MODULATING VALVE CAN BREAK APART. PIECES OF THE PARKER SCV CAN BECOME LODGED INSIDE THE SR-7 SPRING BRAKE MODULATING VALVE, POTENTIALLY CAUSING EITHER LEAKAGE OUT OF THE SR-7 VALVE OR PREVENTING AIR FROM PROPERLY EXHAUSTING FROM THE SR-7 VALVE. ALSO, DUE TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE INTERNAL RUBBER CHECK VALVE INSIDE THE SR-7 SPRING BRAKE MODULATING VALVES, THE VALVES CAN BECOME DEFORMED AND NOT SEAT PROPERLY.

Risk: These conditions could either result in leakage and cause a delay in the application of the spring brake without warning or possibly lead to unintended vehicle rollaway or brake drag which could result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or death.

Original NHTSA wording

THESE CONDITIONS COULD EITHER RESULT IN LEAKAGE AND CAUSE A DELAY IN THE APPLICATION OF THE SPRING BRAKE WITHOUT WARNING OR POSSIBLY LEAD TO UNINTENDED VEHICLE ROLLAWAY OR BRAKE DRAG WHICH COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH, PERSONAL INJURY, OR DEATH.

Remedy & notes

Freightliner will notify owners and repair the vehicles free of charge. The recall began on January 11, 2008 to Freightliner, sterling, and Freightliner custom chassis owners; to thomas built bus owners on February 1, 2008. Owners can contact Freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.

Freightliner recall no. Fl-504.customers May contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov.

Wheels

Jun 14, 2005 · NHTSA campaign 05V285000 · 1,786 vehicles

Problem: On certain trucks equipped with 3RD generation conmet aluminum wheels, the drum mounting flange on the conmet truturn brake drum May have been manufactured with a taper from the pilot hole to the barrel of the drum.

Original NHTSA wording

ON CERTAIN TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH 3RD GENERATION CONMET ALUMINUM WHEELS, THE DRUM MOUNTING FLANGE ON THE CONMET TRUTURN BRAKE DRUM MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED WITH A TAPER FROM THE PILOT HOLE TO THE BARREL OF THE DRUM.

Risk: This taper May cause cracking or fractures of the front hub. This could cause a crash without prior warning.

Original NHTSA wording

THIS TAPER MAY CAUSE CRACKING OR FRACTURES OF THE FRONT HUB. THIS COULD CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

Remedy & notes

After further investigation and testing, Freightliner has revised the population and the remedy (December 22, 2005). Therefore, the recall began on March 15, 2006. Owners May contact Freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.

Freightliner recall no.fl-451. Customers May also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.

Recall text as published by NHTSA and the manufacturer.

NHTSA investigations

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURES

PE08009 · opened Feb 1, 2008 · closed Jul 3, 2008

Summary

ODI'S INVESTIGATION OF THE SUBJECT POWER STEERING PUMP HAS FOUND THAT, WITH OVER FIVE YEARS OF OPERATIONAL EXPOSURE, THERE HAVE BEEN NO PUMP FAILURES THAT RESULTED IN LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN ON THE ROAD OR ANY SUDDEN DROP OFF IN THE POWER STEERING ASSIST AT ANY TIME.THERE ARE NO CRASHES OR INJURIES.THESE REDUCTION IN ASSIST EVENTS HAVE ONLY OCCURRED DURING BACKING OR PARKING MANEUVERS.FREIGHTLINER AND TRW APPEAR TO HAVE ACTED RESPONSIBLY IN PROVIDING INFORMATION TO CUSTOMERS AND DEALERS REGARDING SAFE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR PROCEDURES FOR POWER STEERING PUMPS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED A REDUCTION IN SPEED OF STEER.FREIGHTLINER'S FIELD SERVICE BULLETIN, FSB 46-38, IS A DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINING IF THE TRW POWER STEERING PUMP IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REDUCED POWER ASSIST AND DESCRIBES CORRECTIVE ACTIONS THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN ONCE THE DETERMINATION IS MADE.THE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS ARE:REPLACE THE SPOOL VALVE ASSEMBLY (VEHICLES BUILT PRIOR TO 1/1/05) OR, REPLACE THE POWER STEERING PUMP (VEHICLES BUILT AFTER 1/1/05).A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION SEE DOCUMENT FILE.

STEERING COLUMN WELD CRACKS

PE06033 · opened Aug 30, 2006 · closed Jan 30, 2007

Summary

EARLY WARNING AGGREGATE DATA SUBMITTED TO NHTSA BY FREIGHTLINER SUGGESTS THAT A STEERING (EWR CODE 01) PROBLEM EXISTS FOR THE 2004 AND 2005 CENTURY AND COLUMBIA CLASS VEHICLES.THE COUNT OF FIELD REPORTS SUBMITTED FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2006 WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE AVERAGE OF THE PREVIOUS 6 QUARTERS FOR THE AGGREGATE STEERING DATA.FURTHER REVIEW OF THE EWR DATA FOUNDFIELD REPORTS THAT DESCRIBED STEERING COLUMN FAILURES AS A RESULT OF WELDS CRACKING OR BREAKING.INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM FREIGHTLINER DETAILS A NUMBER OF STEERING COLUMNFAILURES ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THESE FAILURES WERE THE RESULT OF MISSING AND CRACKED WELDS ON THE STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY.AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA) IS WARRANTED TO DETERMINE IF THE WELD FAILURES IN THE STEERING COLUMN CREATE A SITUATION WHERE THE VEHICLE BECOMES DIFFICULT TO STEER OR STARTLES THE DRIVER PRESENTING A SAFETY RISK.

2004 vs. other Freightliner Century St years

Owner complaints by model year; the darker bar is the 2004. Click a bar to switch year.

Questions

Does the 2004 Freightliner Century St have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns covering the 2004 Freightliner Century St, the latest from Jul 16, 2007 (service brakes). A recall applies to specific vehicles: enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours is affected and still open.

What are the most common problems with the 2004 Freightliner Century St?

Few complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Freightliner Century St.