FREIGHTLINER CASCADIA

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:SUPPLY:RESERVOIR/TANK

Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2025 Freightliner 114SD, Business Class M2, Cascadia, and Western Star 49X vehicles. The air tank capacity may be too small, resulting in reduced braking performance. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 121, "Air Brake Systems."

Risk: Reduced brake performance can extend the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2026 Freightliner eM2, Freightliner 108SD, Freightliner 114SD, Freightliner Cascadia, 2025-2026 Freightliner Business Class M2, Western Star 47X, and Western Star 49X vehicles. A software error in the advanced signal and actuator module for the automatic emergency braking system may cause the brake lights to fail to illuminate.

Risk: Brake lights that fail increase the risk of a crash.

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2025 Freightliner Cascadia, Western Star 49X, Freightliner Custom Chassis XCM and Freightliner Custom Chassis XCP vehicles equipped with certain Cummins fuel pumps. The fuel pump barrels may fracture and cause a fuel leak, which can result in an engine stall.

Risk: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.

STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY

Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2025 Freightliner 108SD, 114SD, Business Class M2, Cascadia and Western Star 47X vehicles. The tie rod in the front axle may contain ball studs that have been incorrectly heat-treated, which can cause them to break, and result in tie rod failure.

Risk: Tie rod failure can cause a loss of vehicle steering control and increase the risk of a crash.

STEERING

Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2024 FCCC MT45G, MT45, and Freightliner Cascadia vehicles. The steering gear assemblies may have been assembled incorrectly with fewer recirculating balls than are required, which may result in a loss of steering control.

Risk: A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.

STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY

Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2025 Freightliner Cascadia, 114SD, Western Star 47X, and 49X transit buses equipped with Composolite EXS20 steerable lift axle suspension assemblies. The tie rod assembly ball stud could have been improperly heat treated and can fail.

Risk: The ball stud can separate from the vehicle becoming a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Western Star 49X and 2025 Freightliner Cascadia vehicles. The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) software has incorrect axle spacing parameters. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 136, "Electronic Stability Control Systems on Heavy Vehicles."

Risk: Incorrect parameters can decrease vehicle stability or braking performance, increasing the risk of crash.

STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY

Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2025 Freightliner Cascadia, 108SD, 114SD, Business Class M2, Western Star 47X, 49X, Freightliner Custom Chassis S2RV 106, and S2C 106 transit buses, cabs, and chassis. The front axle tie rod ball joint studs may crack and break, which can result in tie rod separation.

Risk: Tie rod separation can cause a sudden loss of steering control and increase the risk of a crash.

STEERING:LINKAGES:DRAG:LINK:CONNECTION

Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Freightliner 108SD, 114SD, 122SD, Columbia, Coronado, Business Class M2, and 2020 Freightliner Cascadia vehicles. The drag link taper joint may not have been tightened sufficiently and could come loose, resulting in a complete separation of the drag link from the steering arm.

Risk: Drag link separation can cause a complete loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

There is a defect on the Freightliner Cascadia Oil Pump Manifold aka Oil Pickup Tube which causes engine failure and will go out without warning

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:FLASHER UNIT

The contact owns a 2025 Freightliner Cascadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the turn indicator on the instrument panel became inoperable. The contact stated that while attempting to make a turn, the sound indicator failed to function properly; however, the turn indicator was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated was concerned about the safety of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive and was hazardous to the contact and to the other drivers on the roadway. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

On August 1st, I was travelling on I-44 (a toll road with an 80 mph speed) near Claremont Oklahoma. I was doing 68 mph when a red warning message came up on my dash. It read...KINGPIN RELEASE ACTIVATED. STOP IMMEDIATELY! KINGPIN RELEASED WITHOUT REQUEST. I did not touch my brakes. I gently moved to the the shoulder and coasted to a stop...so as not to put any pressure on the kingpin or fifth-wheel and hoping the weight of the trailer would hold it in place til I could stop. I checked under my truck and the lock was perfectly across the jaws. It did NOT turn loose, thankfully. Our road breakdown dept and Tulsa Freightliner could not say what the problem was. Freightliner replaced the kingpin release button on the dash and hoped that was the fix. The service manager told me if it happened again, they would have to keep the truck at least a week and Dahmler would be opening a file on the problem. I know that means they don't know what happened.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

On August 1st, I was travelling on I-44 (a toll road with an 80 mph speed) near Claremont Oklahoma. I was doing 68 mph when a red warning message came up on my dash. It read...KINGPIN RELEASE ACTIVATED. STOP IMMEDIATELY! KINGPIN RELEASED WITHOUT REQUEST. I did not touch my brakes. I gently moved to the the shoulder and coasted to a stop...so as not to put any pressure on the kingpin or fifth-wheel and hoping the weight of the trailer would hold it in place til I could stop. I checked under my truck and the lock was perfectly across the jaws. It did NOT turn loose, thankfully. Our road breakdown dept and Tulsa Freightliner could not say what the problem was. Freightliner replaced the kingpin release button on the dash and hoped that was the fix. The service manager told me if it happened again, they would have to keep the truck at least a week and Dahmler would be opening a file on the problem. I know that means they don't know what happened.

POWER TRAIN

See attached document for complaint

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

See attached document for complaint

TIRES

See attached document for complaint.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

I was north of Louisville Kentucky on [XXX] traveling at 65 mph and I was in the middle lane and the collision lights came on and the truck abruptly started stopping. Luckily no one was on my right side. I made it to the shoulder of the road. Thank God I wasn’t rear ended by anyone and there were three lanes of traffic. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

EQUIPMENT

See attached document for complaint.