2003 Freightliner Columbia recalls and problems

On April 23, 2018, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) opened Audit Query (AQ18002) to assess the timeliness and scope of four recalls filed by Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (“DTNA”). NHTSA subsequently expanded AQ18002 to examine the timeliness and scope of three additional DTNA recalls and compliance with early warning reporting and manufacturer communications reporting requirements. NHTSA and DTNA entered into a Consent Order on December 29, 2020, to resolve NHTSA’s assertions that certain recalls within the scope of AQ18002 were untimely, DTNA failed to timely submit certain manufacturer communications to NHTSA, and DTNA failed to submit field reports to NHTSA as required. As part of the Consent Order, DTNA agreed to a total civil penalty of thirty million dollars ($30,000,000), of which ten million dollars ($10,000,000) was paid on January 12, 2021. Also, of that total civil penalty, DTNA agreed to spend five million dollars ($5,000,000) on the specific performance obligations to develop advanced data analytics capabilities to enhance its ability to detect and study emerging safety-related defect trends on its vehicles (“Safety Data Analytics infrastructure”) and an advanced data analytics and reporting platform that integrates data on emerging safety-related defect trends on its vehicles and recall lessons learned (“Safety Communications Platform”). The Consent Order also held fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000) of t…

THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION WAS OPENED BASED ON 3 COMPLAINTS FROM DRIVERS OF 2003 MODEL YEAR (MY) FREIGHTLINER COLUMBIA TRUCK TRACTORS AND ON INFORMATION PROVIDED BY FREIGHTLINER INDICATING A KNOWN PROBLEM OF EXHAUST LEAKS IN CERTAIN DETROIT DIESEL SERIES-60 ENGINES EQUIPPED WITH A ?COOLED EGR? EMISSIONS CONTROL SYSTEM.DURING THE INVESTIGATION, ODI REQUESTED RELATED INFORMATION ON ALL 2000 MY THROUGH THE CURRENT 2005 MY FREIGHTLINER TRUCK TRACTORS FOR COMPARISON PURPOSES.ODI?S INITIAL CONCERN STEMMED FROM THE AFFECTS OF POSSIBLE CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING AND WHETHER OR NOT THIS PROBLEM MAY CONSTITUTE A SAFETY RISK.THE ?INJURY INCIDENTS? INCLUDED IN THE FAILURE REPORT SUMMARY ARE A COUNT OF SUBJECT VEHICLES IN WHICH DRIVERS REPORTED FEELING ILL AS A RESULT OF SOME KIND OF ENGINE COMPARTMENT FUMES ENTERING THE CAB OF THEIR VEHICLES, AND THE ?INJURIES? ARE THE NUMBER OF SUCH INSTANCES EXPERIENCED BY THE DRIVERS OF THESE VEHICLES.